UK poll suggests young people want an elected head of state rather than a monarchy

A recent survey conducted by YouGov revealed that young people in Britain no longer think the country should keep the monarchy. According to the poll, 41 per cent of 18-24-year-olds now say Britain should have an elected head of state, while only 31 per cent would like to see the monarchy continue. It is worth noting that the British monarchy traces its history back to William the Conqueror who invaded England in 1066, though royals ruled the patchwork of kingdoms that stretched across what became England, Scotland and Wales for centuries before that. 

The survey noted that young Britons were in favour of the monarch as recently as two years ago. Back in 2019, 46% preferred the monarchy to 26% who wanted it replaced. However, now it is believed that Prince Andrew’s “catastrophic Newsnight appearance”, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s controversial Oprah interview in March and Prince Philip’s passing, affected the 2021 polls.

Older Britons strongly support monarchy 

The survey noted that while the young people’s views of the monarchy as an institution appear to be souring, changes among the population as a whole have been more subtle. It said that three in five Britons, i.e., 61 per cent, still support the monarchy. A quarter - 24 per cent - however, would prefer an elected head of state. This is a small change from 2019 when 65 per cent were behind the firm, 19 per cent would rather get rid of it.

“Opinions among people aged 25 to 49 have also only shifted very slightly, with half (53%) now in favour of a monarchy – down from 58%. About a quarter (27%) would like to opt for an elected state head, up 4 points,” the survey read. 

It also added that the older age group remain firm in their views. 70 per cent of 50-64-year-olds still support the monarch, which is the same as in 2019. The same also goes for those aged 65 and above, with 81 per cent in favour - similar to two years previously.  

(Image: Twitter/YouGov)