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By NELSON WYATT
The Canadian Press

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MONTREAL - Quebec sovereigntists might welcome Prince Charles during his Canadian tour, on one condition: if he apologizes for the Crown's role in the alleged cultural genocide of francophones in North America over the last 400 years.

The Societe St-Jean Baptiste's Montreal chapter says if he doesn't do that, then he and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are not welcome in La Belle Province and any appearance will be taken as an insult to Quebecers.

In its letter to Charles, which referred to him as the "prince of the Gauls," the Societe wants amends for a litany of alleged injustices ranging from the 1755 deportation of the Acadians to the 1982 patriation of the Canadian Constitution, which it points out was done without Quebec's consent.

"If the British Crown acknowledges its wrongdoings and apologizes, we will welcome you with open arms," wrote Societe president Mario Beaulieu in the letter, which was made public Friday.

"In the opposite case, your visit will be interpreted as scorn toward the Quebec nation," Beaulieu added, noting his group will use the visit to protest the alleged British cultural genocide of the French in North America.

The letter accuses the British of instituting a system that resulted in an English-speaking majority in North America and minority status for French, which it says still struggles in the face of federal official bilingualism policies.

It also says there is no appetite for ties to Britain in Quebec.

"The institution you represent costs us $40 million per year and a recent poll indicated that 86 per cent of Quebecers wish to break the ties with the British monarchy."

The Nov. 10 visit will be the first trip to Quebec by the heir to the throne in 33 years.

Sovereigntist groups - including one former member of the terrorist Front de liberation du Quebec - have urged the royal couple to stay away and have promised to protest.

While the groups have not released the plans for their protests, Pierre Schneider, a former member of the FLQ, said there will be no violence.

"We don't need to commit violent acts as we did in the past to get the message across the world that Quebec doesn't want the monarchy," he said.