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'm one of the boomer generation and I couldn't be further from how they are often described! But I get what you are saying. I am probably more the exception

For me, a good example of what @User135644 has eloquently described is Peter Hitchens who writes for the Daily Mail. A scruffy-haired lefty at uni in the ‘60s, a derided gammon nowadays.

Im sure neither description applies to you, @Roussette 😀

I'm talking as a majority or just in percentage terms. Obviously many aren't but the Tories poll terribly with younger generations.

And given that in the face of potential change, many will lean with the status quo (better the devil you know, especially after the consequences of Brexit), they'd better be asking for a vote on a damn good model where a majority of people can see it would be better than the current constitutional monarchy

Australians had a referendum, looked at the choices and decided that while it wasn't perfect the alternatives were such they preferred the monarchy. Ridding yourself of a monarchy is a huge social and political upheaval not to be undertaken lightly.

The sample is 2089 people. That's laughable to create a post about that.

Is it really?

What do you think sample sizes typically are in YouGov opinion polls?

From the same source the Duchess of Sussex is seen as popular by 26% of people interviewed. Ouch!

Here's the millennials again

https://yougov.co.uk/ratings/politics/popularity/royalty/millennials

@User135644 Hard to see the Millienials and Zoomers ending up as right wing and establishment but then they don't read the Daily Mail or the other ridiculous UK newspapers.

Millenials and Zoomers are also facing some stark economic prospects - lack of job security and inaccessible housing being particular worries - and are more likely than ever to end up less well off than their parents. Quite a different experience than the boomers benefitted from.

Are they likely to continue supporting shunting millions of taxpayer money (billions if you include the inheritance tax exemption) to support a multi-billionaire family who are wealthy enough to not need further public money, who have constitutional responsibilities conferred on them by birth and not as a result of a democratic vote, who are considered workshy (the new generation - Will and Kate) and whose PR teams treat the public with contempt, as they are currently?

I suspect they (ie the Millenials and Zoomers) ain't...

I don't think abolishing the monarchy would benefit the UK, but I don't care for the royals at all.

A bit like the EU. I don't care for the EU, or particularly like it, but the idea would be better off out (particularly with the more than favourable deal we had) was for the birds.

What we really need in this country is a change in the way it's governed. One positive of leaving the EU is we can longer hide behind Brussels for all our ills.

I'm sorry, but who the hell cares?

Last I checked, Meghan was no longer an active royal, and has been living in California for almost 4 years.

Are you suggesting that the RF's comms teams are basing their PR on Meghan's alleged popularity numbers??

That might explain the current debacle...

@User135644 Indeed, not everyone thinks it's either you fund the RF's lavish lifestyle from the public purse (incl the IHT exemption) and continue to allow them to be the one signing off laws and opening parliament etc, or you abolish them altogether.

Has anyone seen a good analysis of possible alternatives? Presumably continental Europe could be a place to look?

Well you seem to as you started this whole thread based on a you gov paid survey of a couple of 2000 odd people. You can't just cherrypick the ones you like. It is irrelevant as to whether they are "active". I believe they are still part of the Royal Family with their titles. No I wasn't suggesting anything other than the fact of how useless these polls are.

Good points Taller. I think I read Britain was ranked the second unhappiest country in the world (?), and with the economy looking how it is now there will be lots of questions about spending that won't resolve itself with more spending on birthday parades. At the same time many many people see the monarchy as part of the UK’s living culture. A feeling that will be hard to replace

Not surprised by these results - I always suspected this was the case and that those who post regularly on the royal threads were representative of this. I’m pleased to say I’m in the age group that cares little for the RF. Until Meghan married into the family I was indifferent. This changed, however, on witnessing how she was treated by the family and their cronies (not to mention how PA was able to carry out his disgusting acts with impunity). My hope now is that the RF will be abolished in my lifetime.

Sample sizes in the 2000s are standard in polling, even for general elections - obv respondents aren't just selected at random.

You have misunderstood: this isn't about cherry-picking polls. Hopefully it makes sense that for the RF, a poll about their own popularity should be more relevant than one about an ex-working royal?

Thanks!

I think this illustrates why the RF's strategy of hanging out selected family members to dry could be a double-edged sword: shore up their support among the middle-aged/elderly but put off the younger generations.

The issue with that being they are already very popular among the former, but will need support of the latter to survive as they are today...

I agree, @Roussette . How to avoid throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater?

I haven't misunderstood at all. You used a You Gov poll as a basis for a discussion of your opinion that this should send a chill down the spine of the RF. I was merely saying that those polls are useless. I showed others from the same site and I talked about how they pay people in various ways to take part.

So now you’re not young and naive you support the monarchy? WTF? There’s nothing naive about thinking it’s an anachronistic pile of wank that needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history! 🙄

Ireland is the example that republic.org.uk quote - a titular president who is head of state and a PM. Great idea.

No, it's best to separate head of government and head of state. It splits the power between two roles.

Let’s just be realistic for a moment, which of the three main political parties would actually pick this up and run with it? None of them can commit to reforming the NHS never mind seeing through the abolition of the monarchy and all that involves.

Where would you even begin/what’s the plan?

I think when push came to shove most would stick with the devil you know.

Just my thoughts on it.

If you're suggesting YouGov isn't a credible polling agency, I suspect you might struggle to sound convincing yourself...

I’d describe myself as mildly conservative and mildly patriotic, but I’m a diehard republican. I utterly loathe the royals. Harry, for example, is just an ignorant, vulgar little yob with a posh accent. The whole lot of them make me cringe with shame and embarrassment. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine a less impressive bunch of human beings. They’re gargoyles.

I’m patriotic, but my patriotism is rooted in things that are worth being patriotic about - Shakespeare, Blake, Dickens, Jane Austen, Darwin, Newton, the Beatles, the discovery of DNA, etc.