The number of Brits who think the monarchy is 'very important' has fallen to a historic low just days before the coronation of King Charles. A new poll shows fewer than one in three questioned deemed the royal family vital to the country, while almost half now believe now is the time it should be abolished.
In data collected by the British Social Attitudes survey over the last of 40 years, a majority of the public has consistently said it is important for Britain to continue to have a monarchy But according to the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) survey, there has been a sharp drop in support for the monarch in the last year - with people who say the monarchy is 'very important' falling to its lowest point of 29% from 38% in 2022.
There had been a spike in support for the royal family in 2022 following the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and he passing of Queen Elizabeth II. But in 2023 29% 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’.
There is a 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 of NatCen, said: “While 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.
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He added: “The majority of the public still support the royal family, and while support tends to be more among 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.”
