Support for the British monarchy had plunged to its lowest level in the last 33 years, a new poll has revealed. More than half of Britons (55%) want the country to be a monarchy; however, it’s the lowest percentage since polling on the royals began 33 years ago.

According to the latest Ipsos survey, the results highlight clear age differences: young people today are much less supportive of the monarchy than in the past. Public support for the monarchy was 69% when polling began in 1993. It peaked in 2012, when eight out of 10 Brits (80%) were in favour of a monarchy. Meanwhile, nearly three out of ten (27%) of those polled want a republic.

An 18% said I Don’t Know.

The polling company surveyed 1,062 British adults aged 18+ between March 5 and 11.

Younger ages appeared to be less in favour of a monarchy, as only 33% of those aged 18-34 were in favour, while a 45% wants a republic.

Nearly seven out of 10, 74%, of over-55s support the crown, while only 14% want a republic.

Regarding the monarch and the heir, six out of 10 said they are satisfied with the way Charles is doing his job as monarch.

However, the ratings are lower than Queen Elizabeth II used to get, who averaged 79% satisfaction between 1992 and 2022.

Prince William received a more positive response, with 71% saying they are satisfied and 14% dissatisfied.

Six in ten (60%) of Britons still say the monarchy has an important role to play in the future of Britain, while 30% does not.

While this still shows a majority expect the Royal Family to be an important part of British life, this is slightly lower than previously recorded in 1999-2000, when an average of 67% felt the monarchy had an important role to play in the future.

Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Political Research at Ipsos, said: “Ipsos’ latest research on public attitudes to the monarchy reveals an ongoing trend that the Royal Family should not ignore.

“While the majority of the country remains pro-monarchy, and outnumbers republicans by 2:1, support for the institution is the lowest we have measured for 33 years.

“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.

“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.”