Two-thirds of Britons want Queen Elizabeth II to remain as monarch rather than abdicate
Tomorrow is the 61st anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne, which will be marked in the afternoon with gun salutes in both Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
YouGov research shows that two-thirds (67%) of Britons think Queen Elizabeth II should remain monarch and continue to do her Royal duties as long as possible. By comparison, less than two in ten (19%) think she should retire and let her heir become King. This follows the announcement last week that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands will abdicate the throne in favour of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander.
Monarchy will live on
A separate YouGov survey for the Sun last year showed almost three-quarters (73%) of the public want the UK to continue to have a monarchy in the future, with two-thirds (67%) saying that the institution is good for Britain.
- 73% of people think the monarchy should remain as an establishment in Britain, while less than a sixth (16%) favour an elected head of state instead. Over seven in ten (71%) Brits say they feel strongly about this.
- Two-thirds (67%) of the public believe that the institution of the monarchy is good for Britain, compared to only 9% that describe the monarchy as bad for the country and two in ten (20%) which think it is neither good or bad.
Queen is public asset
The YouGov/Sun poll also revealed that an overwhelming majority (86%) of Brits think the Queen has done a good job during her time on the throne, with only one in twenty (5%) saying she has done badly.
Furthermore, 84% of the public say the Queen is an asset to the monarchy, while less than half (48%) describe her heir Prince Charles in the same way. In fact, more than two in ten (22%) people think he is a liability to the monarchy.
Given six in ten (60%) people think Britain will still have a monarchy in 100 years, we may be celebrating the accession of various Kings and Queens for many decades to come.
