Nation split on whether royals are a luxury country cannot afford, poll suggests

The survey comes as the royals prepare to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Queen Elizabeth II sitting in a buggy during a visit by members of the royal family to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, in London. Picture date: Monday May 23, 2022. (PA Wire)

The nation is split over whether the royal family is a luxury the country cannot afford, a survey suggests.

The poll, which comes as the royals prepare to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, also found that the majority of people think the Queen should remain as monarch for as long as possible rather than abdicating.

Ipsos surveyed 1,039 British adults, finding that the proportion of people saying they think the Prince of Wales would do a good job as king stands at 49%, with 20% saying they think he will do a bad job.

The Queen at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (James Whatling/PA) (PA Wire)

Those polled were asked if they agree or disagree that the royal family is an expensive luxury the country cannot afford.

38% said they agree, 36% said they disagree, and the rest said they do not know or neither agreed nor disagreed.

Accounts for the Sovereign Grant show the monarchy cost the taxpayer £87.5 million during 2020/21 – an increase of £18.1 million on the previous financial year.

The survey found younger people were more likely to think the royals are a luxury the country cannot afford, with 48% of 16-34-year-olds agreeing with the statement, compared with 22% of 55-75-year-olds.

Some 74% of people asked think the Duke of Cambridge would do a good job as king (Frank Augstein/PA) (PA Wire)

Some 66% of those surveyed said they think the Queen should keep doing her job for as long as possible, with 23% saying she should abdicate at some stage.

The remainder of those surveyed said they did not know.

The survey found that people were split over whether they think Charles will reduce the cost of the monarchy if he becomes king, with 40% saying they think it is likely that he will and 43% saying they think it is unlikely.

Asked if they think the Duke of Cambridge would do a good job or bad job as king, 74% said they think he would do a good job and 7% said they think he would do a bad job.