Support for monarchy among British public at historic low, poll reveals

The British public’s support for the monarchy is at an all-time low, a poll has revealed.

Only three in 10 Brits regard the monarchy to be ‘very important’, the lowest proportion on record in a historic low, according to a poll ahead of the King’s Coronation.

The survey, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), shows public support for the monarchy has fallen with 45% of respondents saying either it should be abolished, was not at all important, or was not very important.

The data, based on 6,638 interviews, builds on 40 years of data collected for the British Social Attitudes Survey — which has revealed the percentage of people who think the monarchy is ‘very important’ has fallen to 29% from 38% in 2022.

The information reflects a growing trend in the decline in support for the monarchy, with those answering ‘very important’ at its lowest since 1983.

However, the results are in keeping with the levels of support the Royals usually receive during major showpiece events such as jubilees, weddings or births, NatCen noted.

Guy Goodwin, the chief executive of NatCen, said: “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.”

A total of 26% of people surveyed said the monarchy was ‘quite important’, up 2% since 2021. But 20% said it was ‘not very important’, also up 2% since 2021. 

A quarter of those questioned said the monarchy was ‘not at all important/should be abolished’, a proportion that has remained unchanged since 2021.

Goodwin said it was an additional concern that just 12% of 18- to 34-year-olds view the monarchy as ‘very important’, compared with 42% of those aged 55 and older.

He said: “The challenge going forward will be for the monarchy to deliver its relevance and appeal to a younger generation to maintain this support.”