Nearly 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds in the UK would prefer an elected head of state over keeping the monarchy, a poll has found as the king’s coronation approaches.
The survey of adults of all ages also found that fewer people said they were interested in the royal family than not interested in it.
Over-65s were the most likely to support the monarchy, at 78%, but it is less popular with younger generations. The YouGov poll for BBC’s Panorama found that 38% of the younger group were in favour of an elected head of state, while only 32% backed the monarchy and 30% said they did not know.
The overall results suggest broad support for a monarchy, with 58% of people preferring it to an elected head of state, which was supported by 26%.
The poll shows indifference is an issue with younger people, with 78% saying they were not interested in the royal family. Across all age groups, 58% were either not very interested or not at all interested in the royal family, compared with 42% who were very interested or quite interested.
More than half (54%) said the monarchy represented good value, compared with 32% who thought it represented bad value. But among people aged 18-24, 40% thought the monarchy was bad value for money, while 36% thought the opposite.
Asked if King Charles was in touch or out of touch with the experiences of the British public, overall 45% thought he was out of touch, 36% said he was in touch and 19% said they did not know. Again, more of the younger demographic believed him to be out of touch, at 59% while 51% of over-65s thought he was in touch.
The poll, which involved 4,592 UK adults, comes after the Guardian’s Cost of the crown investigation series, and as anti-monarchists led by the group Republic continue to use the buildup to the coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May to push their calls for an elected head of state.
