People of Wales believe the Royal Family receives too much money, poll shows
The people of Wales remain supportive overall of the Royal Family but believe that they receive too much money, polling has revealed.
The data gathered by the Welsh Election Study also shows that support for republicanism was higher among the younger generation, those who identify as Welsh rather than British, and those who speak Welsh.
Writing in the magazine Barn, Prof. Richard Wyn Jones, Director of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre, said that the poll showed that some “distance” had grown between Welshness and the monarchy.
“There is a very clear majority in favour of the continuation of the establishment, and the plans of the prospective King Charles III to trim the ranks may be just enough to allay concerns about the cost of the establishment,” he said.
“Yet something significant has changed in terms of the relationship between Welshness and the royals. A growing distancing can be seen.
“It may not be apparent during the Jubilee celebrations of 2022, but the grip of royalty and its charm is slowly retreating back into the Anglo-British core of the state.”
He said that the results showed that the Welsh electorate strongly believes that the royal family receives too much money.
“Indeed, almost four times as many people agree with the statement that the royal family receives too much money than do those who disagree,” he said.
“Even including those who do not know or do not agree or disagree with the statement, those who believe that too much is spent on the monarchy represents an absolute majority of the electorate of Wales.”
Richard Wyn Jones said that analysing the responses to the question about the principle of monarchism revealed interesting differences in age, national identity and language.
“In each case, they are significant differences,” he said.
“In terms of age, as you might expect, the older generation is very supportive of the existence of kingship. Indeed, the level of unanimity among the members of this generation borders on the unnatural!
“But not so among younger members. Among the younger electorate, not only is there much greater uncertainty, but support for an elected head is higher than support for the principle of kingship.
“Yet, I’m far from sure that there is much comfort to offer republicans even from focusing solely on the young. Time will tell, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many of these become more partisan of the monarchy as they age.”
Language
Richard Wyn Jones added that there was also a clear correlation between British identity and monarchism and a strong Welsh identity and support for a republic.
“In short, those who are ardent Britons – whether British Welsh (people who feel Welsh and British) or strong British only – are very likely to be royalists,” he said.
“However, this is not the case with their compatriots who advocate their Welsh identity. Indeed, among those who feel Welsh but not British there is a majority who support the principle of an elected head rather than a king or queen as head of state.
“Given the close relationship between Welsh identity and the Welsh language, it is not surprising that we also find a significant relationship between constituents’ ability to speak the language and their attitudes towards the monarchy.
“Yet, the fact remains that more fluent Welsh speakers favour a monarchy than support the principle of a republic.”
Richard Wyn Jones said that the answer to the question about how long the monarchy would survive made it clear that most people expected it to be around in the long term.
“Looking at the data, my conclusion, at least, is that most of our compatriots find it difficult to imagine any regime other than monarchy existing in the foreseeable future,” he said.
“In summary, it is fair to say that the majority of the electorate of Wales are desiring and expect to see the monarchy continue for quite a while, but to reduce spending on the organization.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
I don’t know what all those pretty graphs show, but I drove past our village hall yesterday and thought I’d taken a wrong turn somewhere due to the amount of red white and blue all over the place. How very inglish not a dragon or hint of green to be seen.
I forgot to say Abolish the monarchy!!
It is high time Monarchy was ended in the UK.
They sponge off the State which is financed by UK citizens who have many fewer rights than many other countries that are a better example of democracy.
It’s ridiculous to have a head of state whose only skill is to dress up and act like a robot.
They are where they are simply by accident of birth.
Mmm…… A President Zelensky or a King Andrew? No brainer really.
Or a President Putin ot indeed President Trump.Both of whom got to the top in a perfectly constitutional way.
Trump may have, but the last few Russian elections were anything but constitutional, with opposition jailed or poisoned. Putin has now transferred presidential powers to the prime minister, after serving several terms as president, he will now stand as prime minister. Putin has rigged elections for years.
Constitutional law has nothing to do with it. If Trump had been a Democrat he never would have won. The Republicans have been taking dirty money and the media support that goes with it for decades.
Or a Prince Phillip, the royal equivalent of Donald Trump.
There is that I can think of no correlation to Putin. The closest I can think of is Henry Tudor, the opportunist master of disinformation. Putin got installed by the alcoholic puppet Yeltsin who was in turn installed as part of the KGB stage-manager coup by the KGB to oust the last and possibly only democratically elected leader of the ex-USSR Gorbachev. Every other election since then has been a KGB/FSB stage managed pretence of democracy.
Gorbachev elected ? Come off it, he was selected by the party as he was a known trouble shooter cum problem solver. What the party didn’t realise was that he was also a bit of a visionary and knew that without some big changes the Soviet Union, the dream that became a nightmare, would fall apart anyway. So he set about letting it fall apart with some semblance of order which was well nigh impossible. Hence the emergence of a band of extremely powerful bandits running politics, business, services indeed anything that moves in Russia today. And the same goes… Read more »
And the Americans got rid of Trump in a perfectly constitutional way. The point is that with an elected head of state the people can remove them from office, with a monarch the people are stuck with them until they die.
The younger people of today have far more access to news, through the media and internet, than the older generation had, who still support the monarchy. Years ago the prince Andrew scandal could have been kept quiet. They racist scandal, Mhegan Markle, is far more important to today’s youngsters than it ever would be to older people, (some of Prince Phillip’s remarks were appalling) who strongly support royalty. Attitudes have changed dramatically this last 20 years.
It was ever thus,people love the monarchy but disapprove of the ‘hangers on’.If you stop to think about it having ‘hangers on’is of the essence of Monarchy,the Queen and Prince Charles probably have a private moan about the ‘hangers on’,but keep it very private.
Constitutional monarchy coupled with parliamentary democracy as we, the Dutch, Danes, Swedish, Spanish have is the worst system apart from all the others.
Don’t compare the English system with those of the Scandinavian countries – although the comparison with Spain is probably closer.
I’d prefer a president like they have in Germany or in Ireland.
A head of state above politics.
You be interrsted to know that the systems, size, cost and workings here are not within a country mile of the states you mention.
If I could just jump in here & attempt to put the record straight regarding this often repeated assumption that the older generation are fully on-board with their support of monarchy, especially the house of Windsor ( saxe coburg gotha to give the correct historical family name). I’m 65 hrs young & have had a loathing of monarchy since a young age as did my mam & grandmother did till their dying day, (although Mam did wave a flag for Charlie boy when he went gliding past the house once 50 + years ago. While some people local to me… Read more »
I suspect that most Brits, including the Welsh would be content if the Royal Family funded by the public purse and its inherited wealth was cut back to E2R, Charles and spouse, William, spouse and children. All the others who get free or subsidised housing and other allowances should be ditched and only called up if one of that inner circle crashed out unexpectedly. Cutting the expense of numerous homes, vehicles, staff and other costs incurred would be a major step in pleasing most of the subservient public. Of course it would do not a lot to modernise society in… Read more »
No, dump the lot of them.
Iwerddon manage to vote for both a Uachtarán na hÉireann and a Taoiseach why not Cymru?
Not me. I wish the entire Royal institution a long and happy retirement. Or to be the royal family of the United Kingdom of England and the Isle of Wight.
I identify as British. I also identify as a republican and want to abolish the monarchy.
Didn’t realise I was in such a small minority 🙁
The Welsh electorate may indeed support the monarchy for now, but unanimity regarding their expense indicates that this trend is slowly changing.
I believe support for the queen is what is driving royalist support for many. This may well change on Charles’ accession.
It’s a YouGov poll that anyone can complete. It is not statistically significant because the dataset was not scientifically chosen to be representative. People with strong views are strongly motivated to take part. The most motivated voting contingent are the elderly. This is not a reliable poll
Fact – the vast majority of the people of our nation feel that in the round QE2 has done a good job 👏🏼 over 70 Years. Fact – The majority of under 40s feel that the Monarchy is too large : Expensivs and perhaps 🤔 ‘The Firm ‘ has had its day… ? Fact – It’s a myth that the only support for the Monarchy is from a mix of English incomers , the 🐸 Cardiff Bay elite awaiting their honours and the WW2 genetation Fact – .There is a large difference between Momarchy fanatics and the group known around… Read more »
Fact? who decides what fact is Richard? the right wing media who profit from the royals, or the mugs who have to pay for them?
Suggest you spend more time listening to ‘ valleys man ‘ or ‘ Deeside Dave or Pembroke Dock Percy mate – their areas are full of street parties 🎉 ….. not my cup
of tea ☕️ but still a fact I’m afraid 😱
I’m from Pembrokeshire as well, where are these street parties you mention? I’ve not seen any and not that much bunting either.
Unless of course The First Rule of Platinum Jubilee Street Party is that there is no Platinum Jubilee Street Party….
But fact is not the same as forcefully expressed opinion. Words have meanings and generally speaking, people have learned to dismiss information as invented nonsense when anyone precursors their claim with the word “Fact”. My comment is based on a half remembered article where a study looked into how people determine the truth of information in the disinformation age where even the media tell ideological lies.
We still live in a country 🏴With a large pro QE2 majority Llinos and they respect her efforts over 70 plus years,
The pro monarchy crowd far less so – but still a majority.
My thoughts 💭- as equal as yours …,are that once Charles and his current wife take on the Regency you may well see the numbers move.
We in Wales need a national
Conservation on what we want next and what suites a young, diverse and inclusive nation on its pathway to greater self determination
That’s a good rational statement. Not much point slagging off E2R as there is too much emotional attachment around her. When the succession occurs there will be a softening of attachment and we need to re evaluate their relevance along with the relevance of GB-UK in general. If Carlo culls the numbers of hangers on he will do so to buy time, then within a decade or so Willie will succeed. At that time he, his wife and their offspring will probably be reduced to the only remaining funded bits of royalty, probably living in a nice house or two… Read more »
Sounds like a feel day for
MBE BEM OBE CBE OM DBE applicsnts in West Anglia ( opps ) meant Wales ..
What exactly has the queen done during her 70 years of ‘service’? She got the job in the first place through an accident of birth. She’s lived a very, very privileged life at public expense and she doesn’t have to do anything to justify the very existence of her so-called job. Please don’t mention the ‘they’re good for tourism’ nonsense. The French get more tourists than the UK and they’re a republic. In any case the whole point of having a monarchy is not to attract tourists. I suppose she’s kept up the pretence that the UK is still a… Read more »
Those supermarkets don’t open themselves you know?
I like the points you are making Richard, but you are still presenting opinion as facts. We all have opinions, but without supporting evidence opinions are just opinions and should be wary of describing them otherwise to avoid scientists and data specialists challenging your claims. My street had a “street party”. Three houses out of 80 attended. I was in Caernafon earlier today. There were more Ukranian flags than Union Jacks and absolutely no Juvilee celebrations anywhere near the town centre. There was an English chap in armour on the castle steps. On the way home I saw a total… Read more »
We pay Prince Charles more than £22m a year. That’s more than six times the combined salaries of all democratically elected heads of state in Europe.
#AbolishTheMonarchy
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FPJpcKuWUAIBjed?format=jpg&name=small
#abolishthemonarchy
NC Readers might find Prof Edgar Wilson’s book “The Myth of British Monarchy” an enlightening read. Copies available via you local second hand bookshop or new from Republic (Updated edition recently published). Having read it you will have some difficulty retaining monrchistic sympathies.
22 million a year.
But he is an expert in so many fields of endeavour: shaking hands, cutting ribbons,…. the list goes on.
Do Welsh people know that they are not represented on the royal standard and also not on the union jack flags so why fly the flags in Wales
Nice swerving Richard. As co-author of the book Englishness why are you using “Britishness” as a measure against “Welshness” when there needs to be three categories to include “Englishness”?
Ask people whether they are one of the three these results would be entirely different. I will admit to Britishness but never to Englishness.
Like many in our nation Llinos – I identify as Welsh, Celtic & European but respect those who have a British or English inclination…and feel comfortable with QE2.
Plenty of union jacks in Cardiff tonight. Turns out Wales is a British country after all.
Oh you mean the one inflicted on the tax office?
Who are you trying to convince? Us? Or yourself?
Actually CYMRU is THE British country. England is a recent add-on founded by pushy immigrants. Perfectly amenable as neighbours, but you consistently vote for the most selfish worst possible governments who treat all senior nations poorly.
Cool story.
Been down st marys street in Cardiff, lovely six feet wide union jacks being flown right alongside the welsh flag.
The welsh nats must be tearing their hair out.
A little simple mate equating ‘ Welsh Nats ‘ with republicans! Suggest you do your homework in future 😉
Flags put there by government officials cannot be said to reflect public opinion. Surely you can figure that out Phil… er Tim
I have cousins in NZ and Canada. A fair few Union Flags in certain elderly neighbourhoods.
Suggest you go there and expound your views on them being ‘ Brits ‘.
These folk often fought in the last war and enjoy the commonwealth links to be fair – but tell an Aussie he’s a Brit cobber 😂 and stand back
I’m no fan of the monarchy – and am particularly annoyed by a so-called prince of Wales who is far more interested in being the Duke of Cornwall… but as Hillaire Belloc said “Always keep a-hold of Nurse, for fear of finding something worse”
A reformed, greatly reduced monarchy – and a Prince who lives and works here might be a better solution than some populist monster elected by the English majority
Digon teg. I could live with the idea of a Welsh Prince from the Annwyl family (although officially they’re not interested), but I’m not in the least motivated to acknowledge the Buck House people as rulers of Wales. They have no relevance to modern Wales.