England's monarchy is a quaint tradition that has had no real meaning to Canada in decades, save for the fact that Liz is plastered on our coins and $20s and that we get to kick ass in the Commonwealth Games every four years. There is no harm in maintaining the tradition, so long as the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors all realize that, despite the technicalities of the constitution, they rank below our elected governments.
As was noted, foreign dignitaries visit all the time, and we pay for those visits. It doesn't matter if we are a Commonwealth Realm or a republic, we're on the hook either way. So the question of this tour is not "should we dump the royals", but rather "how can we make this trip benefit us?"
Personally, I think Will and Kate's trip was of great value, if for no other reason than their participation in last year's Stampede and how foul a taste that must have left in the mouths of Britain's nosy animal welfare groups.
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