Public support for the monarchy falls to record low
New research from the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has revealed public support for the monarchy has tumbled to a record low.
According to the data collected for this year’s British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) 29% of those quizzed said the monarchy was ‘very important’, 26% said it was ‘quite important’, 20% said it was ‘not very important’ and 25% said it was ‘not at all important / abolish’.
The view that the monarchy is ‘very important’ has dropped to the lowest percentage since the study began in 1983.
This latest study reflects a longer-term trend of declining support for the monarchy despite a positive spike last year which coincided with the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Data was also collected in the immediate aftermath of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Last year thirty-eight percent said the monarchy is ‘very important’, 24% said it was ‘quite important’, 15% said it was ‘not very important’ and 20% said it was ‘not at all important / abolish’.
Last year’s figures saw an increase of seven points in the number of people that said the monarchy is ‘very/quite important’ from 2021, and was the first increase since 2012.
Trend
There is also consistent trend that younger people are less likely than older people to say it is ‘very important’ that Britain has a monarchy.
Twelve percent of 18–34-year-olds view the monarchy as ‘very important’ compared to 42% of the 55+ age group.
Guy Goodwin, Chief Executive at the National Centre for Social Research said: “NatCen has been collecting data on public attitudes towards the monarchy for 40 years. Those who think it is very important for Britain to have a monarchy is at its lowest point since we have collected this information.
“Whilst we are observing a downward trend in support for the monarchy, it is clear from the data that important national events and celebrations, such as jubilees, marriages and births, have a clear and positive effect on society’s views towards the monarchy.
“Throughout the 2010s, we saw an increase in support for Britain to continue to have a monarchy, which coincided with the marriage of HRH The Prince of Wales and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Challenge
Mr Goodwin added: “The majority of the public still support the royal family, and whilst support tends to be more amongst those aged 55 and over, the challenge going forward will be for the monarchy to deliver its relevance and appeal to a younger generation to maintain this support.”
The full wording for the question asked about the monarchy on the BSA survey is, “How important or unimportant do you think it is for Britain to continue to have a monarchy…very important, quite important, not very important, not at all important, or, do you think the monarchy should be abolished?”
This same question was asked of 2,410 respondents on the NatCen Panel between 12 January and 12 February 2023. Participants on the NatCen Panel are made up of a representative sample of individuals who have previously taken part in the BSA surveys.
A survey published last week found more than half of those quizzed did not think the King’s coronation should be funded by the UK Government.
The YouGov survey, carried out just over two weeks before Charles and the Queen Consort are set to be crowned, found 51% of adults questioned believe the ceremony should not be funded by the Government.
Almost a third – 32% – said it should, while around 18% did not know.
The King’s coronation is estimated to cost up to £100 million – and it falls to taxpayers to foot the bill.
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Let’s be honest about this. Who the hell, in their right mind, is going to support a man who is prepared to see the taxpayer spend £100,000,000 on this nonsense? In comparison to today’s values this event is five times more than his mother’s coronation cost.
This morning, Sunday, the cost of this nonsense has gone up from £100,000,000 to £250,000,000 an increase of £150,000,000 overnight. Why don’t we do something to stop this? There is a royalist minority dipping their grubby little paws into the taxpayers’ money without even asking.
NO APPETITE FOR MONARCHY! Worth 1.5 billion, don’t pay any taxes, forcing the taxpayer to pay for the coronation to the tune of £100, 000, 000, and barely bring anything back in with an abysmally small return with tourism, a pervert prince who used taxpayer’s money to pay off a woman he says he’s never met, another prince living practically in exile publishing accounts of extreme disarray and blood curdling racism and abuses of power, a nepotistic family living off the ill-gotten gains of empire, capitalist imperialism and mass murder and mass theft, and everything else… Get shot of the… Read more »
In the 21st century there should be no royal family – full stop. As an independent country we can finally put this question to the people of Wales and I’m sure they would vote to boot the monarchy out.
I wish you were right.
Wales doesn’t need to be independent to vote out the monarchy
I should think it would need to be, because for Wales to be rid of the monarchy, either Wales needs to be out of the UK, or the monarch ceases to be Head of State of the UK.
Still plenty of sycophants in Wales, as been proven by the welcome two of the parasites recently received.
In 2023, I just want to go into a voting booth, and choose my Head of State, is that too much to ask. Also, I resent, the media, assuming everybody in these islands are looking forward to the coronation.
You want democracy Andy, and you’ll never get that from the British State.
True Most you’ll get is a change of government. The democratic “process” is well and truly tucked up.
I am of the age where I can remember the BBC news showing pictures of dictators around the world living in luxury, marble palaces, gold carriages, while the population struggled to get food, and being told how lucky we were to be living in Britain, as this would not happen here, well it is now.
Being a supporter of the Monarchy in my eyes is a form of perversion, in the sense that you like the idea of being submissive. But who in their right mind would happily be referred to as a ‘subject’ and be required to show blind loyality to a dysfunctional family that are effectively a medieval mafia whose ancestors murdered their way to the top. The Stockholm Syndrome comes to mind. Makes my skin crawl.
You’d never know this from reading Trinity MIrror’s two local rags, Walesonline and the Daily Post. They just print the Palace’s PR press releases. Well done, good article. Wales really needs an all-Wales newspaper.
“Well, I didn’t vote for you!”
Monty Python & the Holy Grail
It’s all a cult of personality not so much a love for the institution, Elizabeth kept its popularity afloat by a thread and managed appearances tightly. Her family couldn’t hide from the scandals and disrepute. The sooner the lot go the better.
Well if we are independent we would not have this nonsense of the Monarchy
Republic of Wales!
Britain doesn’t have a Monarchy…it’s Englands monarchy masquerading as thee “British” monarchy. The Stuart’s right to rule England came from the Tudors, they themselves had no right to Wales, and their actions prove such. So if those two Houses had no rights to Wales, how does Windsor?
Don’t forget, the ‘Windsors’ are not in any way related to the Tudors or the Stuarts. They are from a much later import when the Government of the day felt that they needed a monarch. The trouble is that the present Government seems to still feel the same.
A billionaire (and undoubted Tory) will ride in a golden coach in a ceremony costing £100m during a cost of living crisis, what an odd little island we live on.
As for making his son Prince of Wales, that’s the best ever reason to only ever call this lovely country of ours Cymru.