A top polling expert has found "little doubt" that the monarchy is not as strongly supported in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK.
Professor John Curtice has pointed to recent surveys on the issue, that found that enthusiasm for the Royal Family was 10 per cent lower in Scotland than the rest of the country. As reported by the Daily Record, two polls were carried out in the last year by Focaldata and Opinium.
These polls asked people if the monarchy should continue following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, or if a republic should be instated. Both surveys revealed that 45 per cent of Scottish voters were in favour of continuing the monarchy.
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36 per cent voted for a republic, and 19 per cent of people either didn't know, or didn't back either choice.
Posting on What Scotland Thinks, polling expert John said: "There is little doubt that, although still more popular than switching to a republic, the monarchy enjoys less popular support than it does south of the border."
This news comes as King Charles III visited the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday for the first time as King. The new monarch was welcomed at Holyrood by Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone.
He listened to speeches from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and other party leaders who paid tribute to his late mother. SNP party policy is that Charles and his successors would remain head of state if Scotland was to vote for independence in the future.
John added: "The evidence suggests that retaining the monarchy would be a relatively popular if far from consensual outcome in the event of independence – at least so long as the post-Elizabethan monarchy retains the crown’s current level of popularity and if it were to emphasise its Scottish roots rather than its British connections."
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The professor also noted that support for a republic was the highest among those also in favour of independence, at approximately 50 per cent who would vote Yes at a future referendum.
The academic did warn: "The polling evidence does not prove that attitudes to the Union are influenced by attitudes to the monarchy – rather than vice-versa.
"It certainly makes sense that someone who does not feel British, is convinced that Scotland would be economically better off as an independent country and would have more control over its own affairs should have doubts about retaining the monarchical connection.
"But would someone who feels at least somewhat British, has severe doubts about the economics of independence, and is content with being outside the EU be likely to change their mind about retaining the Union because they have come to the conclusion that King Charles and/or his successors are not as good a monarch as the late Queen Elizabeth? It does not seem very likely."
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