Three quarters of people asked in a recent opinion poll believe that the newborn Prince George of Cambridge will one day accede to the throne to which he is third in line, the ComRes survey for The Sunday Telegraph found.
Just 9 per cent of those questioned think that he will not become king because Britain will have become a republic - whereas a poll in 2011 found that a quarter of people expected a republic to emerge within 50 years.
Even among 18 to 24-year-olds, the age group most likely to hold republican views, today’s poll shows a solid 69 per cent believe that Prince George will one day become king.
The poll suggests that the majority of the country sees no benefit in republicanism, with some two thirds of those polled (66 per cent) thinking that Britain is better off as a monarchy.
Only 17 per cent wanted a republic instead.
As a coincidence Rupert Murdoch's newspaper The Australian published an article two days before the UK poll became public stating that Modern Monarchy depresses republicans.
[Australian Republican Movement (ARM) national director David Morris], "the man charged with leading the push for Australia to become a republic admits he's 'very depressed'.
"The ARM national director insists most people want Australia to become a republic when the current Queen's reign ends.
"In the early 1990s some 70 per cent of Australians wanted a republic while 30 per cent were monarchists.
"But since the failed 1999 referendum, support for a republic has dropped to about 40 per cent.
"'This week the media has taken a lot more interest in talking about Australian nationhood at a time of a UK event and yet when we try and talk about Australia (and a republic) the media has no interest,' Morris says.
"'It's very depressing.'"
Even in The Age's editorial Hooray! A new Royal. May he never be our king despite its vitriolic tone, depression shines through:
"Here, republican sentiment has largely been dormant since the 1999 referendum, absent a convincing champion to drive the quest anew. But the arguments for Australia to sever ties to the monarchy have only become more compelling as Asia has boomed."
Why the Asian economic boom should have anything to day with Australia's form of state is The Age's secret. As an independent nation Australia said No in a fair and free referendum in 1999, something most Asian nation never experienced. With its rejection of republicanism Australia could become a model for the emerging countries in Asia.
Just 9 per cent of those questioned think that he will not become king because Britain will have become a republic - whereas a poll in 2011 found that a quarter of people expected a republic to emerge within 50 years.
Even among 18 to 24-year-olds, the age group most likely to hold republican views, today’s poll shows a solid 69 per cent believe that Prince George will one day become king.
The poll suggests that the majority of the country sees no benefit in republicanism, with some two thirds of those polled (66 per cent) thinking that Britain is better off as a monarchy.
Only 17 per cent wanted a republic instead.
As a coincidence Rupert Murdoch's newspaper The Australian published an article two days before the UK poll became public stating that Modern Monarchy depresses republicans.
[Australian Republican Movement (ARM) national director David Morris], "the man charged with leading the push for Australia to become a republic admits he's 'very depressed'.
"The ARM national director insists most people want Australia to become a republic when the current Queen's reign ends.
"In the early 1990s some 70 per cent of Australians wanted a republic while 30 per cent were monarchists.
"But since the failed 1999 referendum, support for a republic has dropped to about 40 per cent.
"'This week the media has taken a lot more interest in talking about Australian nationhood at a time of a UK event and yet when we try and talk about Australia (and a republic) the media has no interest,' Morris says.
"'It's very depressing.'"
Even in The Age's editorial Hooray! A new Royal. May he never be our king despite its vitriolic tone, depression shines through:
"Here, republican sentiment has largely been dormant since the 1999 referendum, absent a convincing champion to drive the quest anew. But the arguments for Australia to sever ties to the monarchy have only become more compelling as Asia has boomed."
Why the Asian economic boom should have anything to day with Australia's form of state is The Age's secret. As an independent nation Australia said No in a fair and free referendum in 1999, something most Asian nation never experienced. With its rejection of republicanism Australia could become a model for the emerging countries in Asia.
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2 comments:
Sometimes I actually want to hold another referendum, just to shut this issue down once and for all (or is that twice and for all?). A referendum now would be defeated even more comprehensively than in 1999, when the republicans had everything going for them: a bad decade for the royal family, the turn of the millennium, Sydney Olympics coming up, and strong poll support for a republic. Now the monarchy is much more popular and young people are not interested in a republic. We would win a referendum comfortably.
If it wasn't for the cost I'd say let's just do it. It's just so tempting to think of the republican cause dying a horrible death from which they will never recover ;)
Republicans and leftists will of course scream this is the "tyranny of the majority", just as they do when the electorate holds non-PC opinions.
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