Support for the monarchy by the British public has fallen to a historic low in what could be described as a major blow for King Charles, according to the latest figures. Just over half (51%) of people in Britain said they believe it is important to keep the monarchy, in what is a significantly lower proportion than in 1983, when the question was first asked for the British Social Attitudes (BSA), when more than four in five (86%) were in favour.
This is the lowest level of support recorded since the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) began tracking public opinion some 40 years ago. However, more than half of those polled were in favour of keeping the royals over an elected head of state.
According to the latest polling by NatCen, around one in three (31%) felt the monarchy was not important when asked last year, up from one in 10 in 1983.
Some 15% now say they support the abolition of the monarchy, up from just 3% in 1983. In a new question, survey participants were asked to choose between keeping the monarchy or replacing it with an elected head of state.
More than half (58%) said they favoured retaining the monarchy, with 38% saying they would prefer an elected head of state.
The results also showed younger people were more likely to favour an elected head of state, and that keeping the monarchy was a stance strongest among supporters of the Conservative and Reform UK parties (82% and 77% respectively).
Labour supporters were almost evenly split, with 49% wanting to keep the monarchy and 48% favouring an elected head of state.
More than half of survey participants identified as Scottish, and almost two-thirds of Welsh survey participants said they favoured an elected head of state, 59% and 64% respectively.
Support for the monarchy was strongest among those identifying as British (62%) or English (68%).
Alex Scholes, NatCen research director, said: “Support for the monarchy is now at its lowest level since our records began, with more people than ever questioning its future. At the same time, when asked to choose directly, a majority of the public still prefer to keep the monarchy over moving to an elected head of state.
“This tension, between declining importance and continued preference, will be crucial in shaping debates about the monarchy’s role in the years ahead.”
The survey findings come ahead of the state visit of US President Donald Trump to the UK. The King will host the US leader at Windsor Castle from September 17-19, when Mr Trump will be feted with a ceremonial welcome and a state banquet. The trip will be Mr Trump’s second state visit to the UK, an unprecedented gesture for a US president.
