Support for the monarchy has grown following the Queen‘s funeral and six in 10 people now believe King Charles III will do a good job as ruler, up from five in 10, a new poll has found.
Almost half of those polled by Ipsos on Tuesday and Wednesday said it would be worse for Britain if the monarchy was abolished, while less than a quarter said the country would be improved as a republic.
The poll of 1,073 adults found 47 per cent saying the UK would be worse without a monarch, up from 42 per cent who said the same shortly after the Platinum Jubilee in June.
Support for the monarchy has grown following the Queen’s funeral on Monday
Almost half of those polled by Ipsos on Tuesday and Wednesday said it would be worse for Britain if the monarchy was abolished
Only 22 per cent said abolishing the monarchy would make the country better, the same proportion as in February 2022 and down slightly from 23 per cent in June.
Over the longer term, support for a republic has increased slightly from 15 per cent in March 2018 while support for the monarchy continues to fluctuate around 45 per cent.
Opinion on the monarchy is more divided among those aged between 18 and 34.
Only 33 per cent of younger people believe the country would be worse off without a monarch while 32 per cent believe the country would be better.
The proportion saying Charles III will make a good King has risen from 49 per cent to 61 per cent
Around a quarter, 26 per cent, of young people, think it would make no difference.
Despite this ambivalence, a majority of the public now believes the monarchy will last for another half century.
Some 56 per cent of people now expect the monarchy to last for at least another 50 years, up from 45 per cent in March 2022.
The proportion saying Charles III will make a good King has risen from 49 per cent to 61 per cent.
First in line to the throne, William, Prince of Wales is still more popular than his father, with 72 per cent expecting him to do a good job as King when the time comes
Kelly Beaver, chief executive of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland, said: ‘After the sad events of the Queen’s passing, King Charles starts his reign with the majority of Britons optimistic that he will make a good king, and an increased belief in the longevity of the monarchy.
‘As the country emerges from its mourning period, though, it will be important to track whether this is sustained, especially as the challenge of demonstrating relevance to younger generations remains.’
First in line to the throne, William, Prince of Wales is still more popular than his father, with 72 per cent expecting him to do a good job as King when the time comes.