Public backing for the UK Royal family has fallen to its lowest in more than three decades, a new poll suggested.
The number of Britons who still want a monarchy has fallen by 11 percentage points to just over a half of the population in the last three years, the new figures indicate, The Daily Mail reported. The statistics, the lowest in the 33 years Ipsos has been polling about the Royals, signal withering support for the monarchy among younger people. In 1993, there was a 69 percent approval rating for the royals, just a year after a difficult period for the late Queen Elizabeth II.She described it as her “annus horribilis”, with three of her children’s marriages falling apart as well as a horrifying blaze at Windsor Castle. Years later, in 2012, the royals’ approval rating reached a high of 80 percent during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Later, it fell to 60 percent in 2022, the year she passed away at the age of 96. In the years that followed, the royals have continued to face turmoil with a rift between Prince Harry and Prince William, as it is alleged the brothers have not spoken since Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022. And the controversy surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who was stripped of his titles over his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In February this year he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing. Presently, just six in 10 of those asked believe the monarchy plays an important role in Britain’s future, while almost a third think the opposite. Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed by Ipsos said they would prefer to live in a republic rather than a monarchy. Meanwhile, six in 10 believed King Charles was doing well in his role, while 71 percent believed the same of Prince William. But the poll indicates the biggest fall in support for the monarchy in the present day is among young people. In 2013, 74 percent of people aged 18 to 34 supported the monarchy, but today this stands at a mere 33 percent. Meanwhile, over half of people aged 35 to 54 back the royal family, with this number rising to 74 percent among the over 55s group. Ipsos carried out the survey with 1,062 adults in March 2026, shortly after Andrew’s arrest. The polling firm says it has altered its methodology since June 2025, and uses an online random probability panel. It previously used a quota telephone survey.
However, it said that comparisons with previous research needs “to be made with caution”. Gideon Skinner, senior director of UK Political Research at Ipsos, said, “Ipsos’s latest research on public attitudes to the monarchy reveals an ongoing trend that the Royal family should not ignore.”“The monarchy still has its strengths, and King Charles and especially Prince William remain personally popular with satisfaction ratings that most politicians could only dream of,” Skinner added.“But to turn this trend around will require convincing young people in particular that the monarchy still has an important, relevant role to play in the future of the country,” Skinner said.
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