The Future of the British Monarchy 2: Sep 2022 -

[Muhler]

Yeah, they sure could be better!

 

[TLLK]

Any of the King's grandchildren?!? - That's an odd option.
And how about Edward's family? His wife and daughter, both of whom appears otherwise to be well liked. (Yes, I left out his son.)

Everything considering H&M get a pretty good ranking.

I have a feeling that many of those who answered just came up with the first name they could think of, so this might perhaps better be renamed to who is the most well known or well liked within the BRF.

I agree Muhler. I suspect that people were simply asked "Who is your favorite or least favorite royal?" Otherwise why would the King's five grandchildren appear on the list?


Curryong-I have to wonder again why non-working ones are on the poll.

 

[Durham]

https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default...-the-royal-family-ipsos-survey-march-2023.pdf

Slide 11 is the key fact. 14% think The King will do a bad job. Sounds ok to me. Can't see anything to be concerned about at all really. And a bit of context would be helpful here. - considering all the doom& gloom before his accession he's a success.

Of the remainder a clear two thirds majority believe he will do a good job & the rest are neutral.

Republicans likely account for the great majority of the 14% & those who don't much care either way about the monarchy probably make up a good proportion of the neutrals.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

As usual: personal approval/popularity and support for the monarchy are totally mashed up. The main figure is that 58% of the respondents in a poll supported the current system of the hereditary monarchy.

That is the mother-of-all-statistics. These last statistics in this thread are about popularity of individual members of the royal family. With inclusion of non relevant figures whom officially have left the Institution. And with exclusion of members still belonging to the core monarchy. That tells enough about the "quality" of said poll.

 

[royalistbert]

These polls also include don't knows/fence sitters.

 

[Lilyflo]

I think this is a good poll result for the BRF:

• At most, only 25% of us think the country would be better off without a monarchy;

• Only 24% of us have an unfavourable view of King Charles;

• Only 17% of us have an unfavourable view of the King's heir, William

All the rest of the results aren't that important in the grand scheme of things - the individual popularity of people who aren't going to be monarch can go up and down. As long as the monarch and heir have less than 50% unfavourability, no government is going to risk its own popularity by holding a referendum on monarchy versus republic.

 

[Susan D]

I counted and King Charles and Prince William have: Buckingham Palace (being fixed up) Clarence House; a large flat in Kensington Palace; Windsor Castle; Adelaide Cottage; Sandringham House; Anmer Hall; Highgrove House; a place on the Scilly Isles; a place in Wales; Holyroodhouse Palace; Balmoral Castle; Birkhall; and, maybe, the Castle of Mey which may in fact be a white elephant. So, they have thirteen or fourteen homes and I hope that they pare things down after the coronation. I expect the monarchy to be expensive but not this bad. This cost brings anti-monarchy critics.

 

[muriel]

I counted and King Charles and Prince William have: Buckingham Palace (being fixed up) Clarence House; a large flat in Kensington Palace; Windsor Castle; Adelaide Cottage; Sandringham House; Anmer Hall; Highgrove House; a place on the Scilly Isles; a place in Wales; Holyroodhouse Palace; Balmoral Castle; Birkhall; and, maybe, the Castle of Mey which may in fact be a white elephant. So, they have thirteen or fourteen homes and I hope that they pare things down after the coronation. I expect the monarchy to be expensive but not this bad. This cost brings anti-monarchy critics.

Whilst I agree that Charles needs to look at the property portfolio and see how the various properties are used, I could not help but point out:

> BP is undergoing an extensive renovation programme

> Birkhall, Balmoral, Sandringham and Anmer are privately owned by Charles.

> Highgrove and the Welsh home are owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and not the state. The Welsh home is available as a holiday let through the Duchy for most of the year.

> The Castle of Mey was left to charity, Charles merely rents it for a few days a year. It is not a royal home.

> The place in the Scilly isles is Duchy property that is let out commercially for holiday lets, it is not a royal residence.

> Holyrood has been underutilised for a long time.

That still leaves Clarence House, KP 1A, Windsor and Adelaide Cottage.

 

[Muhler]

Can't link right now, but I saw a new poll in Daily Mail and it was absurd!

Among the royals people could point pick as the most respected/well liked etc, two of them were dead! QEII and Diana!
IIRC Harry and Meghan got 22 and 18 % respectively. With Queen Camilla scoring even less.

I have with some... bewilderment... glanced through the headlines in connection with the upcoming coronation in DM and they are getting more and more silly.
I honestly believe the writers at DM, and no doubt other UK outlets as well, have a daily competition about who can write the most silly article.

Not that I'm pointing fingers, because the news reporters in my own country would - seriously - be interviewing the red deer in the forests!
You can borrow some of our reporters, for free.
One of them managed to spend a ten minutes live segment standing at the airport explaining the astonished viewers that Air Force One would be flying in. From the air. And land. At the airport. Either there or over there. But land on the ground.

 

[Alison H]

The stuff in the actual printed newspapers isn't so bad, but there are some very silly articles printed as clickbait online ... but, as you say, it's the same everywhere!

I just opened MSN and up came "Secrets behind Donald Trump's hair" and "Americans horrified at Brits' take on Chinese takeaway".

 

[SirGyamfi1]

I counted and King Charles and Prince William have: Buckingham Palace (being fixed up) Clarence House; a large flat in Kensington Palace; Windsor Castle; Adelaide Cottage; Sandringham House; Anmer Hall; Highgrove House; a place on the Scilly Isles; a place in Wales; Holyroodhouse Palace; Balmoral Castle; Birkhall; and, maybe, the Castle of Mey which may in fact be a white elephant. So, they have thirteen or fourteen homes and I hope that they pare things down after the coronation. I expect the monarchy to be expensive but not this bad. This cost brings anti-monarchy critics.

But they don’t own most of those properties, they simply have access to them. Even if there were no monarch, the KP, BP, Windsor and properties associated with The Crown would still be subsidised

 

[wartenberg7]

Well, only 56 % in favour of a monarchy... Figures like this only days before a coronation are more than threatening! I never thought I would ever say this about this particular monarchy, which I adored - especially the late Queen -since my childhood, but if the mood among the british public isn´t vigurously changing, they are done in less than 10 or 15 years.
Perhaps it is the way of the people to say: enough is enough! Divorces, sex scandals, infidelity, an intriguing son splattering poison from abroad.... They've done a lot for the British public over the past 30 years! The result is an ever-growing republican movement and a controlled explosion only days before a coronation....

 

[Blog Real]

I can't imagine the UK without a monarchy. I think support can always increase or decrease. I think it will always depend on what is happening at the moment.

 

[Denville]

where is this Republican movement?

 

[Mbruno]

But they don’t own most of those properties, they simply have access to them. Even if there were no monarch, the KP, BP, Windsor and properties associated with The Crown would still be subsidised

Exactly. The royal palaces are held in trust by The King in Right of the Crown regardless of their occupation status. The other properties mentioned by the OP are privately owned, and there is no limit as far as I know in the UK to how many properties a person can own if he or she is paying for them out of his or her own pocket. The same argument applies even when royals live in Crown Estate properties provided that they pay their lease, i.e,, do not live there for free

 

[Durham]

Well, only 56 % in favour of a monarchy... Figures like this only days before a coronation are more than threatening! I never thought I would ever say this about this particular monarchy, which I adored - especially the late Queen -since my childhood, but if the mood among the british public isn´t vigurously changing, they are done in less than 10 or 15 years.
Perhaps it is the way of the people to say: enough is enough! Divorces, sex scandals, infidelity, an intriguing son splattering poison from abroad.... They've done a lot for the British public over the past 30 years! The result is an ever-growing republican movement and a controlled explosion only days before a coronation....

There isn't a republican movement.

 

[BritishRoyalist]

Well, only 56 % in favour of a monarchy... Figures like this only days before a coronation are more than threatening! I never thought I would ever say this about this particular monarchy, which I adored - especially the late Queen -since my childhood, but if the mood among the british public isn´t vigurously changing, they are done in less than 10 or 15 years.
Perhaps it is the way of the people to say: enough is enough! Divorces, sex scandals, infidelity, an intriguing son splattering poison from abroad.... They've done a lot for the British public over the past 30 years! The result is an ever-growing republican movement and a controlled explosion only days before a coronation....

This stuff is nothing new. This goes on in every family in the world and has since forever! The Royal Family is no different. We now have internet, social media, 24/7 news, Internet forums, news sites, countless tabloids, etc,. So it make seem like we always hearing about it. A lot of it just fabrications, speculation or rumors.

When was the last divorce of a major Royal and when was the last royal caught cheating? And when was the last sec scandal? Not counting Andrew.

The difference is in the old days the media and press was much more willing (and did most of the time) to cover these things up. Just like in the U.S, Trump and Clinton are not the first presidents to have affairs. Most of the presidents of the 20th century had them but until the 1990s the media and press covered them up and willing went along with the idea that some (mainly JFK) were wholesome family men with strong values and morals.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

Well, only 56 % in favour of a monarchy... Figures like this only days before a coronation are more than threatening! I never thought I would ever say this about this particular monarchy, which I adored - especially the late Queen -since my childhood, but if the mood among the british public isn´t vigurously changing, they are done in less than 10 or 15 years.
Perhaps it is the way of the people to say: enough is enough! Divorces, sex scandals, infidelity, an intriguing son splattering poison from abroad.... They've done a lot for the British public over the past 30 years! The result is an ever-growing republican movement and a controlled explosion only days before a coronation....

You’re overreacting… Every polling institute have different methods, different goals they want to reach, doing it different ways etc… And not so rarely, an agenda they discreetly wants to put forward…

The British RF has had quite rough years recently, but seriously, if people can’t stand a King and Queen who are both in their 2:nd marriage, how big is the likelyhood that the same people can stand a divorced Presidential couple ?

Elizabeth II was Queen for such an extremly long time that people are still used to having it ”her way” or no way at all…. But life isn’t black and white, and everyone is different… Just give it time… We’re in the coronation-week now and everything is extremly super hyped and everyone is on their toes… But there comes a tomorrow too when life returns to normal again

 

[Alison H]

There isn't a republican movement. There's an organisation called Republic, but it has no more influence than organisations representing birdwatchers or trainspotters, and probably far fewer members.

 

[Mbruno]

There isn't a republican movement. There's an organisation called Republic, but it has no more influence than organisations representing birdwatchers or trainspotters, and probably far fewer members.

I will go back to the point that I made before in the Commonwealth board, i.e., that we are no longer in the era when the masses would storm the Palace to depose the King (at least not in Western Europe). The republican cause would have to be embraced by at least one of the two major national parties to trigger any meaningful movement towards a possible abolition of the monarchy, and I don't see any interest in a republic among the political establishment in the United Kingdom. That is again a major difference between the state of the republican movement in the UK and, let's say, for example in Australia.

 

[Lilyflo]

There isn't a republican movement. There's an organisation called Republic, but it has no more influence than organisations representing birdwatchers or trainspotters, and probably far fewer members.

I agree. There's probably a fair amount of apathy towards the monarchy but no polls indicate significant support for replacing it.

 

[tommy100]

I think if nothing else the thought of putting politicians in charge is enough to put most UK public off wanting anything presidential. And if you elect a non-politician type person to be a ceremonial HoS then why not keep the RF. I don't believe there would be wide strong consensus for a replacement to the monarchy and tbh it could well see the breaking up on the UK (Scottish independence etc) which would make any agreement unlikely. In the latest polling by Lord Ashcroft whatever the headlines said, its worth noting that all working members of the RF scored higher in favourability that both Rihsi Sunak (the PM) and Kier Starmer (the leader of the Opposition) - so if one of them were to become "President" what would that do and where would that leave us?

There is a long long way the RF can go and adapt before people would seriously consider giving up the monarchy IMO. I don't see much increase in support for a republic in the UK, just less people saying they favour a monarchy, so a lot more in the middle than before. That does mean the the RF can pull it back.

RFs always go through ups and downs, look back at the 90s and particularly after Diana died, I bet they got similar figures.

 

[yukari]

I don't think 56% support for the monarchy means danger to it when in the said poll, the portion who answer with don't know/don't care is almost twice the abolitionists. (I'm not Brits, but it's similar to what's happening with mine; the monarchy will exist for a long while not because many supporting it, but because many feel nothing/apathetic about it).

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I don't think 56% support for the monarchy means danger to it when in the said poll, the portion who answer with don't know/don't care is almost twice the abolitionists. (I'm not Brits, but it's similar to what's happening with mine; the monarchy will exist for a long while not because many supporting it, but because many feel nothing/apathetic about it).

It is similar to the recent polling in the Netherlands: also 56% support for a hereditary monarchy. But the Dutch PM actually was impressed with that 56% as no any politician scores over 20%. That is also a way to look at it, of course.

 

[Iain]

> Holyrood has been underutilised for a long time.
.

I suspect that Holyrood will be used more in the future by the King.

 

[royalistbert]

I remember seeing a documentary that back in the 1970s there were even polls in favour of abolishing the monarchy before the Silver Jubilee but after the polls had totally reversed.

 

[travelguy]

What would likely be the next big Event after the coronation royal family wise

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

What would likely be the next big Event after the coronation royal family wise

The 75th birhday of the King?

 

[travelguy]

The 75th birhday of the King?

Good point, actually with Trooping the Colour this year would that count as a very early 75th Birthday celebration or very late 74th Birthday Celebration

 

[Iluvbertie]

After the coronation the royals will return to the normal routine of events with no 'big' events hopefully for the next 20 years or so (and that will be a funeral).

In the 21st century we have had 3 major funerals, 4 televised weddings, 3 jubilees and now a coronation.

Go back into the last 20 years of the 20th century and there were 3 televised weddings and one funeral.

In the 20 years before that - 1 jubilee and 3 televised weddings (Anne, Alexandra and Margaret).

We have been spoilt with the really big events over the first quarter of this century but no events on the large scales are now expected (or hoped for by most) until Charles dies or the Wales children start to marry.

No major royal births - yes I know Eugenie is expecting but that will not create a frenzy in the way the the Wales' births did (or even hers did back in the day).

Yes I know Louise and James will probably marry in the next 20 years but at most they will be private weddings at St George's and the King may even ask for them to be more like Beatrice's was in the end - nothing other than a couple of pictures released.