REUTERS: Only a minority of Britons under 50 support the monarchy

[TallerSally]

The chart below, along with the unprecedented level of social media (and even royalty!) mocking around Katespiracy and Katephotogate, could send a chill down the RF's spine.

Whilst 70% of those aged 65+ and 50% of the 50-64 (the demographic on MN?) support the monarchy, this drops to 30% among the 25-49 and ONLY 19% among the 18-24s - YouGov Jan 24 data.

Some will say "that's nowt new!" But with TikTok, X and other SM having unprecedented reach (far more than mainstream media) and cultivating literally thousands of GenZ and Millennial mini-influencers, and with the RF in its current state of turmoil (some of it illness-related, some not, incl. Prince William being largely MIA, the RF's reluctance to deal with Prince Andrew and his grifting ex-wife, Rose Hanbury and extra child (!!) rumours, the casting-out and continued vilification of M&H, the embarrassment that is uncle Gary, etc etc), are comparisons to a decade ago going to be helpful in predicting what this means for the RF in the future? I doubt it.

We all know the billionaire RF continue to sustain their taxpayer and IHT exemption-funded luxury lives thanks to the public's goodwill, hence they employ loads of professional PR people to do their comms. But if there's anything recent events have shown, KP in particular suck at it, with the KP comms team the subject of derision and ridicule around the globe.

It's easy to say "they've weathered worse", but the past isn't a guarantor of the future. I'm sure Boris Johnson also thought he could lie to the public forever... until one day, the tide turned. Not saying this is an identical situation, but the recent lies emanating from KP (I'm sorry, issuing a fake 'proof of life' photo is equivalent to telling a lie) are part of a culture of secrecy and public manipulation.

And consider this: last August, the above numbers were:
80% of those aged 65+ and 67% of the 50-64s support the monarchy, versus 56% among the 25-49s and 37% among the 18-24s. So a drop of 26pp (percentage points) for the 25-49s, and 18pp for the 18-24s.

And who's to say what the numbers will be post-Katephotogate?

https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/uk-monarchy-suffers-an-impairment-its-goodwill-2024-03-13/

I do think a couple of people here want to have a revolution. Another handful just adore Meghan so are happy for anything bad that happens to RF.

If any “young people” are really involved I don’t think that will turn out quite how you like either. They won’t stick around.

Not great bedfellows in the long run. I am sorry to disappoint you, @Novella4 but I really don’t think you’ll make a revolution out of that.

The revolution folks. might try recruiter some of those 99% ers that used to camp out all over US. They seem to have free time. But I don’t suggest it given they’ve turned NY and Seattle into shitholes.

I don’t want a revolution in the traditional sense of the word involving chaos and violence etc. But I would be happy to start with a serious, calm debate in parliament on the role of the monarchy, the House of Lords, and how our legislature is structured, leading to a possible referendum.

Yep, same here. I’ve no desire to see William et al hurt or humiliated.

Kindly, I don’t think MN RFF is the place to start. The conversation here has been called “unhinged” by its founder. I know that’s a parsing of words but trust others won’t believe that means a handful of real sane people are here conversing with the likes of myself.

I think you may be among the few.

Well, it’s the women they want humiliated, but clearly it’s the intent of many.

Are you an old republican, a young person or a MM supporter?

Serious question.

... and an inappropriate one (question), I should add...

Why do you think that? I am certainly not trying to be inappropriate. We keep hearing about the “young people” even from you. I’m just curious to gauge if there is anything to that and also test my own theory.

I’m 50 and have always been a republican but feel increasingly strongly about it since the Q’s death.

Indifferent to MM other than enjoying Suits during lockdown, but I believe that she experienced anti-American and racist sentiment. I should add in fairness that I haven’t yet read Spare, and I didn’t watch the Oprah interview or Netflix show. Nor do I have contacts “on the inside” as so many folks claim to. It’s a feeling.

Ha! Sorry. I assumed Alice’s question was for me. I’ll get my coat …

Thank you Reddog, it was for you and I appreciate your reply.

This talk of ‘sorry to disappoint there will be no revolution ‘ is just transparently disingenuous It’s laughable
But it’s part of the ‘it can’t be done’ playbbok.

Who has made an mention of that ?

The Windsors were finished when Elizabeth died . The contemporary world caught up with them - Elizabeth had kept the Windsors in suspended animation.

I said elsewhere that the ‘royals’ are 50 years behind the rest of society - that’s the mess we see now

Exactly .

Thats what many reasonable people wish to see

Are MPs still not allowed to debate the ‘royals’ in the house ?

Novella I’m just having a conversation. If you take “sorry to disappoint” as some kind of pretense at a a serious comment I think you probably won’t get anything I write ever.

I’m not the first person to use sarcasm and so far as I know it’s not yet against T&Cs here. YMMV.

That’s unfair and simply intrue. I feel exactly the same way as Reddog1. I am interested in free speech and proper debate. I am not interested in being disrespectful to any individual, including members of the RF.

I am certainly not interested in seeing anyone humiliated whether that’s my local church caretaker or the current Queen. What a strange thing to suggest and to attribute to posters because they believe in Republicanism?

I have quite a lot of sympathy for the women in the RF btw, especially those who marry in, and especially in terms of the scrutiny they are under.

I am not a rabid uncritical supporter of H & M either but I do think Harry did well to get away (not entirely sure about the methods he used but perhaps he he had few choices). And I think Meghan did encounter prejudice.

Absolutely NONE of that adds up to wanting to see Royal women humiliated fhs. And I would say that is absolutely not the clear intent of the majority of posters on the RF boards.

You may not be among them, but they absolutely exist.

... and stage three is attempting to discredit those seeking to debate and raise awareness, by applying simplistic and irrelevant labels to them: MM supporter this, female royal-hater that, you're either team this or team that, it's incredibly reductive and downright childish.

Luckily most folks are able to stay focused on the matter at hand.

No-one is expecting centuries of embedding of the RF into the governance and public finances of Britain to unravel within a few years. But clearly, the iron grip the RF has succeeded in establishing is beginning to erode, as evidenced by declining public support, and exploring whether this represents a turning point is a perfectly legitimate conversation to be having.

and stage three is attempting to discredit those seeking to debate and raise awareness, by applying simplistic and irrelevant labels to them: MM supporter this, female royal-hater that, you're either team this or team that

Yes - and using the word REVOLUTION

The word Revolution is usually preceded by the word 'bloody'
A bloody Revolution.. and no one wants that but we can debate surely.....

I haven’t seen the vociferous so called ‘republican’ supporters of the Duke and Duchesses of Sussex wanting them to be King and Queen on here but none the less they do support everything they do and come out in their droves to defend them which seems bizarre to me, if H&M had completely dropped their titles and had not taken Prince and Princess titles for their children and forged a new life without wanting to be connected to the institution in anyway, then I could understand the republicans on here supporting them, but they haven’t, they are still part of what republicans despise, baffling.

I am over 65. I used to support the monarchy in my youth but having lived a bit and seen its unravelling over the years I have for the past 20+ years wanted them gone. Yes, it will take years to unpick the royalty/state connection but it can and should be done. The palaces and gardens will still be there for overseas tourists to visit.

I want a vote on this and as soon as possible. We cant sack them, make them redundant etc so this is the only option. Older people like me who want this to happen really are growing in number. its been a shower of shit since the Queen died with a ridiculously expensive coronation at a time of austerity and now basically bunking off from duties for a reason we arent allowed to know by the younger royals. If they dont like people prying into their lives then stop taking the peoples shilling and get a job yourself and do some work.

I concur.

Thanks for sharing this, @mummymeister

And here's a link to an absolutely surreal segment on... fricken GB News of all arch-royalist places, which repeats almost verbatim some of the points being made on recent MN RF threads about KP taking people for granted and the risks to the RF.

According to them, it's not quite the 11th hour, but small things can lead to bigger ones...

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/diana-kate-middleton-william-royal-family-b2514197.html

@AliceOlive I dont want anyone to be called King, Queen princess or prince. there are lots of people that feel like I do and the number of them is growing. but as we wont get a vote on it, probably not in my lifetime anyway, its all a bit irrelevant I guess. but I will keep lobbying for a referendum. If they work on behalf of the people then let the people say if they want them or not.