Only Half of Brits Think Monarchy Is Important

A survey that has been asking UK residents periodically if they think the country's monarchy is important or whether it should be abolished has reached a new low point in royal approval. As per the latest installment in 2024, only 51 percent of Brits said the monarchy was very or quite important, while 31 percent said it was not very or not at all important. Another 15 percent of Brits wanted to see the monarchy be abolished.

The perceived importance of the British monarchy reached low points before at just 59 percent finding it important in 2003 and just 55 percent saying the same in 2021. The biggest overall losses happened between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s, though, and coincided with the rise in popularity of Princess Diana, who divorced then-heir to the throne Charles in 1996 and died in a tragic car accident in 1997. In 1984, 86 percent had still found the institution very or quite important.

The monarchy gained some popularity again in the 2010s, when younger royals like Prince William and Prince Harry stepped into the spotlight. Approval also spiked in 2022 - the year of Queen Elizabeth's death - to 63 percent attesting importance. However, in 2023, a new low of 54 percent approval had already been reached. In 2024, both the number of people finding the monarchy important and those finding it unimportant set new records in disfavor of the British royals. The number of abolishionists was highest in 2023 at 16 percent.