The British are still behind their royal family with a clear majority. But with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, something seems to have changed. Is support for the royals crumbling?
London – Less than two weeks before the planned coronation of King Charles III. (74) on May 6 opinion polls cast doubt on Brits’ enthusiasm for their royal family. A majority of subjects (58 percent) are not at all interested in the royals, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the BBC and released over the weekend. Among young adults there are even more opponents than supporters of the monarchy.
The head of the Republic organization, Graham Smith, which advocates the abolition of the monarchy in Great Britain, even sees the royal family in crisis. With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal family lost their driving force, Smith said at a press conference in London on Monday. He added: “In recent years the monarchy has shrunk from a balcony full of royals, princes and princesses to four people, who are obviously Charles and Camilla, Kate and William.” who caused problems from the sidelines.
Charles will have a harder time than his mother
Pollster John Curtice from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow believes that Charles will have a harder time keeping the British in line than his mother. The support for the monarchy is the be-all and end-all for Charles and his successors, writes the scientist in a current report on the situation of the monarchy, which the London think tank UK in a Changing Europe published on Tuesday. “Right now, the monarchy may seem safe, but the base of its popular support needs to be strengthened,” Curtice said.
Curtice points out that support for the monarchy is significantly lower today than it was a few decades ago – especially among younger Britons. For example, in a survey by the Ipsos Institute in January, 64 percent of Britons said they preferred a monarchy to a republic with an elected head of state. There is no direct comparison, but in a poll in 1983, 86 percent of Britons still thought it was important to be a monarchy.
Only 58 percent of Brits for monarchy
According to the current YouGov poll, only 58 percent of Britons think their country should remain a monarchy in the future. But just as many expressed that they had no interest in the royal family. Smith, an opponent of the monarchy, says his efforts to convince the British of the superfluity of the royal family are getting more and more open ears.
The lack of interest among young Britons is particularly clear. According to YouGov, 78 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 said they had no interest in the royals. In this age group, those in favor of a republic with an elected head of state are also higher at 38 percent than supporters of the monarchy (32 percent).
Smith and his comrades-in-arms want to accompany the procession of the king and his wife Camilla (75) in London with a loud protest at the coronation on May 6 with around 1,000 people. Shouts like “Not my king” and protest posters are planned. Smith advised against throwing eggs: “It’s not a particularly smart way of protesting,” he said.
Charles is the head of state of 15 countries
Elsewhere in the world, too, support for the British royal family is dwindling, as constitutional lawyer Craig Prescott of the University of Bangor in Wales explains in a report by think tank UK In A Changing Europe. Charles is the head of state of 15 countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as smaller states in the Caribbean and Asia Pacific.
Strong republican tendencies can be observed in several countries and a detachment from the British crown is also being actively discussed. In addition to island states such as Antigua and Barbuda, this also applies to Australia. Barbados already took the step in 2021. “In principle there is no reason why such a reassessment should not also take place in the UK,” says Prescott. This is most likely when public opinion changes fundamentally – for example in times of economic or political upheaval. dpa
