LORD ASHCROFT CORONATION POLL: UK BACKS MONARCHY, BUT SIX COUNTRIES WOULD VOTE TO BECOME REPUBLICS IN REFERENDUM TOMORROW

LONDON, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK would vote to keep the monarchy in a referendum tomorrow – but six of the 14 other countries in which King Charles is head of state would vote to become republics, according to new polling from Lord Ashcroft.

Findings from the research include:

• People in England said they would vote to keep the monarchy by 57% to 22% (the remainder saying they didn't know or would not vote), Wales by 54% to 23%, and Scotland by 46% to 32%. Voters in Northern Ireland said they would choose a republic by 46% to 42%.
• In six of the 14 "Commonwealth realms" in which King Charles is head of state, more said they would vote to become a republic in a referendum tomorrow than would choose to remain a constitutional monarchy: Antigua and Barbuda (by 47% to 45%), Australia (by 42% to 35%), the Bahamas (by 51% to 27%), Canada (by 47% to 23%), Jamaica (by 49% to 40%) and the Solomon Islands (by 59% to 34%).
• In Belize, Grenada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines and Tuvalu, voters said they would choose to stay with the Crown by between 5 points (Belize) and 45 points (Tuvalu).
• 64% of British voters had a favourable view of Prince William, making him the most popular living royal (though Princess Anne topped the list in Scotland) – followed by Princess Anne and the Princess of Wales (62%), and the King (54%).
• 68% of British voters (including 82% of those choosing the monarchy) said the royal family did a better job of connecting with ordinary people than elected politicians.
• More than two thirds (68%) of British voters choosing to keep the monarchy said it was a good thing for Britain; 23% said the alternative we ended up with would probably be worse, and 8% said the process of changing would probably be too disruptive. Only 28% of pro-republic voters in Britain thought the change would bring real, practical benefits; 66% said the monarchy was wrong in principle and should be replaced whether there were practical benefits or not.
• In Britain, just under a quarter said Charles should remain King for the rest of his life, while 22% said he should let Prince William take over after a few years; 39% said he should stand down if he becomes too frail to carry out all his duties.
• Just over half (56%) of British voters agreed that the King can unite everyone no matter who they voted for, and 66% agreed that the monarchy means we have more stability in the UK than we would have without it. However, people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were all more likely to say the monarchy felt like "mostly an English thing" than "something shared by the whole UK".
• Asked where their sympathies lay between Prince Harry and the rest of the royal family, 13% in Britain said they sympathised more with Harry and Meghan, and 40% with the King and Prince William; 13% said they sympathised with both, and 28% with neither.
• Around the world, most of those voting for a republic agreed that such a move would "bring real, practical benefits" for their country. However, most pro-republic voters in the UK and the Solomon Islands, and substantial minorities of them in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, agreed that the monarchy was "wrong in principle, so we should replace it whether there are practical benefits or not." Majorities of pro-republic voters in Australia (61%), Canada (54%), New Zealand (65%) and Jamaica (52%) agreed that having the monarchy had been good for their country in the past, but makes no sense today.
• In all six countries where more voters said they would choose a republic than the monarchy, majorities agreed that "in an ideal world we wouldn't have the monarchy, but there are more important things for us to deal with." Agreement was highest in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Jamaica, where at least 75% agreed.
• Asked to choose between two statements, people in Canada, the Bahamas, Grenada, Jamaica and the Solomon Islands were more likely to see the monarchy as "part of a colonial past that has no place in our country today"; those in the other countries polled were more likely to see it as "a valuable force for stability and continuity".
• Agreement that "the King and the royal family care a lot about my country" ranged from 72% in Tuvalu and 62% in St Vincent and The Grenadines to 38% in the Bahamas and the Solomon Islands, and 36% in Canada.
• By clear margins, people in all countries polled said they would want to remain part of the Commonwealth if their country became a republic.

22,701 adults were interviewed in February and March 2023 in the 15 countries in which King Charles is head of state. 44 focus groups were conducted in the UK and 8 of the Commonwealth realms. The full report, Uncharted Realms: The Future of the Monarchy in the UK and Around the World, together with full data for each country, is available for free at LordAshcroftPolls.com

LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, pollster and author. He is a former Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party and honorary Chairman of the International Democrat Union. His recent political books include Going For Broke: The Rise of Rishi Sunak, First Lady: Intrigue at the Court of Carrie and Boris Johnson, and Red Knight: The Unauthorised Biography of Sir Keir Starmer.

LordAshcroftPolls.com  //  LordAshcroft.com  //  Twitter/Facebook: @LordAshcroft

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