The share of Britons who believe the Royal Family is good value for money for the taxpayer has tumbled as turmoil and scandal takes its toll.
In April last year nearly half (48%) of the population said the royals were “very” or “fairly” good value for money but this crashed to 35% in February. The Ipsos polling will send alarm bells ringing at Buckingham Palace because it exposes deep scepticism among younger Britons about using public cash to fund the Royals. While half of those aged 55 to 75 thought the Royal Family is good value for money this was the case for fewer than one in four (23%) Britons aged 18-34.
Thirty-five per cent of the British public said the Royal Family was “very” or “fairly” bad value for money for the taxpayer in February – up from 25% in April last year. While just 27% of those aged 55-75 think they are bad value, 44% of those aged 18-34 had this view last month.
There is also signifiant desire for greater examination of how the Royal Family uses cash from the taxpayer. While 23% said there was too much scrutiny by the media, a third said there was too little. And just 7% of the public said there was too much scrutiny by Parliament, with 41% saying there was not enough.
Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy group Republic said: “Clearly the shine is coming off the royals for large swathes of the public. People are realising the monarchy is not such great value for money, while they increasingly have doubts about the royals’ response to the Andrew scandal.”
Gideon Skinner of Ipsos said: “As societal values evolve, the monarchy’s ability to adapt and address these concerns will be pivotal in maintaining its relevance and support.”
The Government provides financial support to the monarch thorough the sovereign grant for the maintenance of royal residences, royal travel for official engagements and employment costs for the royal household staff. It is linked to profits from the crown estate and rose from £86.3million in 2024-25 to £132.1million in 2025-26, according to the House of Commons Library.
While 35% think the monarchy has become more transparent since the arrival of King Charles in office, 21% say it has grown more secretive.
The King’s relationship with Prince Harry has been a focus of attention in recent years and half say the Royal Family has become divided during Charles’s reign, with a mere 15% saying it is more united.
There is a lack of consensus on whether the Royal Family is better connected with the country. While 34% say it is more in tune with the public since Charles became King, an identical share say there has been no change and 26% think it is more out of touch.
Nearly three in four Britons (73%) support introducing legislation to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession. This is opposed by just 7%.
Half the population think the Royal Family has a positive impact on Britain overall while 26% say it has a negative influence. But when it come to how the Royals have affected their own lives, the vast majority (63%) say they have had neither a positive nor a negative impact.
Mountbatten-Windsor denies all wrongdoing. Buckingham Palace and the Cabinet Office declined to comment.