There have been monarchs and monarchies in the British Isles for more than a millennium and much of the history we are taught is about the exploits of kings and queens. The existence of the monarchy is part of our national psyche – for centuries, most people have accepted it as being as much a part of our political landscape as our hills and rivers are of our geographic one. The monarchy was such a fixture in British society that, until the early 1980s, few even bothered asking whether or not it was something desirable.
In recent decades, however, polling organisations have monitored attitudes to the monarchy through responses to questions such as whether people would prefer:
· The continuation of the monarchy, or
· Its abolition and/or its replacement with an elected head of state.
Until the mid-1990s, polls found support for the monarchy to be more often above, rather than below, 80%, and in the two decades that followed, support hovered above 70% while support for a republican alternative rarely passed 20%.
From the start of the 2020s, polls showing support for the monarchy below 60% became more common and it became evident that the monarchy was no longer as fixed and unchallengeable as it had been for most of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. For a list of polling results in recent decades, see Wikipedia’s ‘Republicanism in the United Kingdom’.
Below is a selection of opinion polls conducted in 2023 and beyond.
Only a minority think we should have a hereditary monarchy
This poll, at the start of 2023, demonstrated that the monarchy, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, was facing a crisis of legitimacy. Only 48% of respondents agreed that Britain should have a hereditary monarchy – amongst Labour supporters it was only 34%.
Only a minority want to keep the monarchy as it is
The same January poll showed that pro-monarchists, even if not a majority, at least out-numbered pro-republicans, further questions demonstrated the extent of dissatisfaction with the monarchy amongst those not yet ready to abolish it. It found that
· 37% (25%) wanted to keep the monarchy as it is;
· 23% (24%) wanted it to be reformed; and
· 19% (31%) were for abolition.
The figures in parenthesis are for Labour voters only.
Labour voters back proposals for the ‘modernisation’ of the monarchy
Shortly after his accession in 2022, the king let it be known that he recognised the need to modernise the monarchy. Labour for a Republic offered support by proposing a number of changes which could bring the monarchy closer to what might be expected of a head of state in the 21st century. Polling confirmed the popularity of the proposals: amongst those who voted Labour in 2019:
· 66% felt the monarchy should not be exempt from FOI legislation;
· 70% felt the monarchy should not be exempt from the Equalities Act;
· 73% felt the monarch should be taxed in the same way as others.
Support for the monarchy drops below 50%
Two polls at the beginning of 2024 showed that only a minority want a monarchy.
Savanta asked people whether they wanted the UK to have a monarch or an elected head of state. Only 48% wanted a monarchy (32% wanted an elected head of state and 20% didn’t know). This was the first time this particular question had found less than half of respondents opting for a monarchy.
Past polls had shown a majority of young people preferring an elected head of state to a monarch, but this poll found a majority amongst those up to the age of 45. You Gov January 2024
A second poll in January 2024, by You Gov, found an even larger drop in support for the monarchy: when asked to choose between having a monarchy and an elected head of state, only 45% opted for a monarchy (31% preferred an elected head of state and 24% had no view).
The You Gov poll found that a majority of those under 50 favoured an elected head of state over the monarchy suggesting a significant move towards republicanism.
The poll also found an astonishing preference for an elected head of state among Labour voters. Only 29% wanted a monarchy while 47% favoured an elected head of state. Some previous polls had suggested that Labour voters were quite evenly split on the issue – while this poll might be a bit of an outlier, an 18% lead is quite remarkable.
In London and Scotland, and amongst ‘remain’ voters in the Brexit referendum, there were more people wanting an elected head of state than a monarchy.
It’s time to reform the oath
MPs must swear an oath of allegiance to the monarch. By a margin of 5:1, people would like to see the oath changed to one of allegiance to the MPs’ constituents and the country.
Of those who voted Labour in 2024, 75% wanted the oath changed while only 10% were content with the existing one.
Money from the licensing of off-shore windfarms should be used for public services, not given to the king
The Crown Estate will receive a massive boost in its profits through licensing agreements for off-shore windfarms. At present, the Sovereign Grant is based on the Estate’s profits, and as a result the king will receive an extra £45 million.
63.1% of people think this extra money should be used for public services and only 10.7% were happy with it going to the king. 78.8% of Labour voters felt the money should be for public services.