What Britain really thinks of the Royals: MailOnline poll reveals more than half of Brits want King and Camilla to hand more duties to William and Kate, 61% want Harry removed from line of succession…and 69% say Andrew should never return to public life
The Prince and Princess of Wales are increasingly popular with the British public, many of whom already want King Charles III and Queen Camilla to start gradually handing over power to them or even to abdicate over the coming years, new exclusive polling for MailOnline revealed today.
Charles III appears to be viewed as a caretaker monarch – but the institution still enjoys the backing of the majority of Britons who believe he has had a good first year on the throne and deserves public support and money.
A year after the Queen’s death, most people believe the monarchy will go on strong for decades and in a further boost to the King almost two thirds (60%) are in favour of him speaking out publicly on issues that ‘matter to him’, such as climate change.
Today’s comprehensive new poll on the state of the monarchy carried out for MailOnline by Deltapoll asked more than 2,000 people how they view the Royal Family, its members and the work the institution does in the UK and abroad.
The survey shows that William is viewed as a King in waiting, with growing numbers hoping his father will hand over the reins before he dies after the Princess of Wales took an iron rod approach to his younger brother Harry and his uncle Prince Andrew.
And 41 per cent now believe the crown should have skipped a generation to William when the Queen died – up from 35 per cent in March. The polling came weeks after the Prince of Wales was revealed as the United States’ most admired public figure ahead of Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
But despite William’s growing popularity and influence, there is plenty of positive news for Charles, who has been mourning his mother in Scotland this week. Just 23 per cent of respondents said they were in favour of a republic compared to 62 per cent who say Britain should remain a monarchy. Another 53 per cent said they believed Britain would still have a monarchy in 50 years’ time.
Today’s poll is also clear that the majority of Britons believe Meghan and Harry should be removed from the line of succession and cut off financially by the taxpayer and the King. Just 25 per cent of people believe they should have an ‘active role in the monarchy’.
But despite the negative view of the Sussexes after three years of brutal transatlantic potshots since Megxit, Prince Andrew is still the most unpopular Windsor. The public believe that he has done more damage to the Royal Family than Harry and should not return to public life or be bankrolled by the state.
43 per cent of participants said they believe it right that Charles acceded the throne after his mother died, with 41 per cent saying it should have skipped a generation and passed to William. Much closer than it was six months ago
The Wales’ are also the most popular members in terms of financial support and remaining in the line of succession
Today exclusive survey also reveals:
- More than half of respondents (53%) think that the institution of the monarchy is good for Britain;
- More than six in ten (62%) believe Britain should remain a monarchy. Fewer than a quarter (23%) think Britain should become a republic;
- Just over half (53%) think that Britain will still be a monarchy in fifty years, with more than a quarter (25%) thinking the opposite.
- A majority (58%) have not changed their mind about Charles since he became king. Under a quarter (23%) think better of him, with just over one in nine (12%) thinking the opposite;
- It is a similar for Camilla. Half (50%) have not changed their mind about her and under a quarter (24%) think better of her. At one in six (17%), however, the proportion who say their opinion of her has got worse is slightly higher than for her husband. Half (50%) also think that Diana would have been a better queen. 12% think the opposite and 19% think there would have been no real difference;
- Four in ten (40%) think that Charles should not allow either Harry or Meghan to play an active role in royal life ever again. A quarter (25%) say Charles should be open to the idea, with a further fifth (20%) thinking Charles should be open to the idea of Harry without Meghan. A strong majority (69%) think Charles should not allow Andrew to have an active role again;
- More than four in ten (43%) thinks Harry will never come back to live in Britain full time, but more than a third (36%) think he will come back at some point in the future;
- Prince Andrew is viewed very poorly, even compared to Harry and Meghan. Four in ten (40%) think that the good things are in the majority when it comes to Harry with only one in seven thinking there are no good things about him. In contrast, only just over one in five (21%) think the good things win out when it comes to Andrew and more than four in ten (43%) think that there are no good things about him;
The number of people who believe Charles should have become King when the Queen died, compared to those who would have preferred William is now approaching parity, 43 per cent and 41 per cent respectively, today’s MailOnline poll has found. The gap has narrowed markedly over the past six months as William’s popularity has increased.
Those who say Charles should remain King until he dies is at 41 per cent – whereas the number of people who believe William should become king before he dies or even immediately has risen to 45 per cent.
The poll shows that Britons largely believe William has done well in a year where he lost his grandmother, faced more brutal attacks from his brother Harry and scandals involving his uncle Prince Andrew. Today’s results reveal that those issues have failed to damage the heir to the throne.
But the survey shows there is anger and suspicion aimed at the Sussexes and the Duke of York, with the vast majority believing they should all be booted out of the line of succession and cut off financially by the King and the British taxpayer.
Now have your say! Use our interactive tools to get involved in MailOnline’s royal survey
Now you can have a go at answering 20 questions which were asked in the survey:
Poll
Taking everything into account do you think the institution of the monarchy is good or bad for Britain?
Taking everything into account do you think the institution of the monarchy is good or bad for Britain?
Now share your opinion
Poll
Would you favour Britain becoming a republic or remaining a monarchy?
Would you favour Britain becoming a republic or remaining a monarchy?
Now share your opinion
Poll
In fifty years, do you think Britain will still have a monarchy?
In fifty years, do you think Britain will still have a monarchy?
Now share your opinion
Poll
In years to come, Prince William’s son Prince George is set to become the King. Do you think that his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, should have to work, or receive the Sovereign Grant?
In years to come, Prince William’s son Prince George is set to become the King. Do you think that his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, should have to work, or receive the Sovereign Grant?
Now share your opinion
Poll
In your opinion, do you think that King Charles III should or should not continue to speak out on issues and current affairs that matter to him?
In your opinion, do you think that King Charles III should or should not continue to speak out on issues and current affairs that matter to him?
Now share your opinion
Poll
If you had to say, do you imagine that Queen Elizabeth II would think that King Charles is taking the future of the Monarchy in the right direction or the wrong direction?
If you had to say, do you imagine that Queen Elizabeth II would think that King Charles is taking the future of the Monarchy in the right direction or the wrong direction?
Now share your opinion
Poll
How much, if anything, do you think the Royal Family has to offer the young people of Britain nowadays?
How much, if anything, do you think the Royal Family has to offer the young people of Britain nowadays?
Now share your opinion
Poll
If you had the choice, which of the following do you think would have been best when the Queen passed away last year?
If you had the choice, which of the following do you think would have been best when the Queen passed away last year?
Now share your opinion
Poll
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Now share your opinion
Poll
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Now share your opinion
Poll
Taking everything into account, has your opinion of King Charles III changed since he became King?
Taking everything into account, has your opinion of King Charles III changed since he became King?
Now share your opinion
Poll
Taking everything into account, has your opinion of Queen Camilla changed since she married Charles in 2005?
Taking everything into account, has your opinion of Queen Camilla changed since she married Charles in 2005?
Now share your opinion
Poll
If you had to say, all things considered, do you imagine that Diana, Princess of Wales would have been a better or worse queen than Queen Camilla?
If you had to say, all things considered, do you imagine that Diana, Princess of Wales would have been a better or worse queen than Queen Camilla?
Now share your opinion
Poll
King Charles inherited land and property which is estimated to be worth up to £390m and paid no Inheritance Tax. What he inherited brings in around £4.5 million each year from rent paid by members of the public. Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
King Charles inherited land and property which is estimated to be worth up to £390m and paid no Inheritance Tax. What he inherited brings in around £4.5 million each year from rent paid by members of the public. Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Now share your opinion
Poll
Taking everything into account, of the following, who do you believe has done more damage to the Royal Family?
Taking everything into account, of the following, who do you believe has done more damage to the Royal Family?
Now share your opinion
Poll
When you think about Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
When you think about Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Now share your opinion
Poll
When you think about Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
When you think about Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Now share your opinion
Poll
When it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
When it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Now share your opinion
Poll
When it comes to Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
When it comes to Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
Now share your opinion
Poll
From what you know, and taking everything into account, do you think that Prince Harry will ever come back to Britain to live full time or not?
From what you know, and taking everything into account, do you think that Prince Harry will ever come back to Britain to live full time or not?
Now share your opinion
Britons also largely share the view that King Charles should ensure his controversial younger brother Prince Andrew must not be allowed to return duties again.
Almost half of people surveyed believe ‘there are no good things about him, only bad things’ when it comes to the Duke of York.
More than half the country now believe that William makes a ‘positive contribution to the UK’ and it is on an upwards curve.
At 54 per cent, it is now at a level just below that of his beloved grandmother, who even a year on from her death, still leads the field on 63 per cent.
Diana, Princess of Wales is on 49 per cent, Princess Catherine is on 47 per cent ahead of Charles III on 39 per cent. The popularity rankings then go from Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Queen Camilla, the Queen Consort and Zara Tindall at the top to Prince Harry, Peter Phillips, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Andrew at the bottom.
The late Queen remains the most popular and influential royal, a year since she died at Balmoral sparking mourning in Britain, the Commonwealth and around the world.
Today’s poll one of the most comprehensive surveys of its kind since the death of Queen Elizabeth, examining everything from who is perceived to provide best value for money and is more in touch with the average British person. It also gives the country’s verdicts on individual royals and again backs a slimmed down monarchy with fewer of the King’s family being paid for by the public purse.
Charles’ popularity remains static. But there is less good news for his wife, Queen Camilla, however. While more people say their opinion of her has improved since 2005, 50 per cent believe that Princess Diana would have been a better queen than her. Just 12 per cent thought Camilla would be better than William and Harry’s mother.
The late Queen Elizabeth led the field of those respondents believed to have made a positive contribution to the United Kingdom
The Prince and Princess of Wales remain enduringly popular and have even increased their share of support, particularly when compared to Harry and Meghan (pictured)
Calls to downgrade disgraced Prince Andrew are up, with a decisive percentage of respondents saying they would like to see him removed from the line of succession
Three quarters of those polled say that Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, should have to work for a living when they grow up, rather than being funded by taxpayers. Just one in ten believe they should be entirely funded by the public purse.
Their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, remain enduringly popular, however, and have even increased their share of support, particularly when compared to Harry and Meghan, suggesting the Sussexes’ repeated blows have failed to land.
There is growing support to remove Prince Harry from the line of succession while almost twice as many respondents (50 per cent) believe that it is William rather than Harry (27 per cent) who best represents the values of their mother, Diana.
Sixty one percent of respondents are in favour of the fifth in line to the throne being stripped of his position given his departure as a working royal and litany of attacks on his family and the institution. A slight improvement from the same question in March.
Calls to downgrade disgraced Prince Andrew are also up, with a decisive 77 per cent of respondents saying they would like to see him similarly deposed.
Interestingly, given the often-heated public debate over the years over his alleged ‘meddling’ in politics, 60 per cent of respondents said they believed King Charles should continue to speak out on issues and current affairs that matter to him, suggesting that his campaigning on issues such a climate change and the environment have struck a chord with the public. 28 per cent said he should not.
The public’s views appear to be clearer on whether the Sussexes are entitled to taxpayer-funded security and other costs.
Just 15 per cent said they should be, with an overwhelming majority of 74 per cent saying they should pay for everything themselves.
- Deltapoll interviewed 2,009 British adults online between September 1 and 4 2023. The data have been weighted to be representative of the British adult population as a whole.
Key royal poll results
IS THE MONARCHY GOOD OR BAD FOR BRITAIN?
Good for Britain – 53%
Bad for Britain – 14%
Neither good nor bad for Britain – 24%
Don’t know – 9%
SHOULD BRITAIN BECOME A REPUBLIC?
Britain should become a republic – 23%
Britain should remain a monarchy – 62%
Don’t know – 16%
WILL BRITAIN STILL HAVE A MONARCHY IN 50 YEARS?
Yes – 53%
No – 25%
Don’t know – 21%
WHO HAS MADE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE UK?
Queen Elizabeth II – 63%
Prince William – 54%
Princess Diana – 49%
Kate – 47%
King Charles III – 39%
Princess Anne – 38%
Prince Edward – 16%
Queen Camilla – 16%
Zara Tindall – 15%
Prince Harry – 14%
Peter Phillips – 6%
Meghan – 4%
Prince Andrew – 3%
None of them – 7%
Don’t know – 7%
SHOULD CHARLOTTE AND LOUIS HAVE TO WORK IN FUTURE?
Charlotte and Louis should earn all of their money by working – 31%
Charlotte and Louis should earn some money but should also be supported by a Sovereign Grant – 42%
Charlotte and Louis should be entirely supported by a Sovereign Grant – 11%
Don’t know – 17%
SHOULD KING CHARLES III SPEAK OUT ON ISSUES?
King Charles should continue to speak out on issues and current affairs that matter to him – 60%
As monarch, King Charles should not be expressing an opinion on any issues or current affairs – 28%
Don’t know – 13%
WHAT WOULD QUEEN ELIZABETH II THINK OF CHARLES NOW?
He is taking the monarchy in the right direction – 51%
He is taking the monarchy in the wrong direction – 18%
Don’t know – 31%
WHAT DOES THE ROYAL FAMILY HAVE TO OFFER YOUNG PEOPLE?
Royal Family have a great deal to offer young people – 23%
Royal Family have a fair amount to offer young people – 32%
Royal Family do not have very much to offer young people – 18%
Royal Family have nothing to offer young people – 14%
Don’t know – 13%
WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BEST WHEN THE QUEEN DIED?
Prince Charles should have become King – 43%
Prince William should have become King – 41%
Don’t know – 15%
SHOULD CHARLES REMAIN KING?
King Charles should remain as king until he dies – 41%
Prince William should become king at some stage in the future before King Charles dies – 29%
Prince William should become king now – 16%
Don’t know – 15%
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN AS CHARLES AND CAMILLA GET OLDER?
As King Charles and Queen Camilla get older, it is right that they should hand over more and more public duties to Prince William and Kate – 62%
It is important that King Charles and Queen Camilla maintain their public duties, even as they get older – 23%
Don’t know – 15%
HAS YOUR OPINION OF CHARLES CHANGED SINCE HE BECAME KING?
Yes, my opinion of him has got better – 23%
Yes, my opinion of him has got worse – 12%
No, my opinion of him has stayed the same – 58%
Don’t know – 8%
HAS YOUR OPINION OF CAMILLE CHANGED SINCE SHE MARRIED CHARLES IN 2005?
Yes, my opinion of her has got better – 24%
Yes, my opinion of her has got worse – 17%
No, my opinion of her has stayed the same – 50%
Don’t know – 9%
WOULD DIANA HAVE BEEN A BETTER QUEEN THAN CAMILLA?
Diana would have been a better queen – 50%
Queen Camilla will be a better queen – 12%
There will be no real difference between the two – 19%
Don’t know – 19%
WHAT SHOULD RENT PAID BY THE PUBLIC TO KING CHARLES’S LAND AND PROPERTY GO TO?
This money raised from renting should go to the Treasury – 60%
This money raised from renting should go to the Royal Family – 17%
Don’t know – 23%
WHO HAS DONE MORE DAMAGE TO THE ROYAL FAMILY?
Prince Harry – 38%
Prince Andrew – 47%
Don’t know – 15%
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PRINCE HARRY?
There are no bad things about him, only good things – 8%
The good things about him are outweighed by the bad things – 32%
The bad things about him are equal to the good things – 18%
The bad things about him are outweighed by the good things – 14%
The are no good things about him, only bad things – 14%
Don’t know – 14%
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PRINCE ANDREW?
There are no bad things about him, only good things – 3%
The good things about him are outweighed by the bad things – 18%
The bad things about him are equal to the good things – 10%
The bad things about him are outweighed by the good things – 12%
The are no good things about him, only bad things – 43%
Don’t know – 13%
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN WITH PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN?
King Charles should be open to the idea of Prince Harry and Meghan both playing an active role in the Royal Family again at some stage in the future – 25%
King Charles should be open to the idea of just Prince Harry playing an active role in the Royal Family again at some stage in the future, but without Meghan playing a role – 20%
King Charles should not allow either Prince Harry or Meghan to play an active role in the Royal Family ever again – 40%
Don’t know – 16%
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN WITH PRINCE ANDREW?
King Charles should be open to the idea Prince Andrew playing an active role in the Royal Family again at some stage in the future – 16%
King Charles should not allow Prince Andrew to play an active role in the Royal Family ever again – 69%
Don’t know – 15%
WILL PRINCE HARRY EVER COME BACK TO BRITAIN TO LIVE FULL TIME?
Prince Harry will come back to Britain to live at some point in the future – 38%
Prince Harry will never come back to live in Britain full time – 37%
Don’t know – 26%
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