Poll: Young Britons Back Prince William And Monarchy

Every once in a while there are a spate of news stories that surface, suggesting that the British monarchy is losing support — but a new one is about a poll that suggests the monarchy and Prince William in particular are now on solid ground with young people:

Britons overwhelmingly back the monarchy and would like to see Prince William to be the next monarch, of whose girlfriend Kate Middleton they also wholeheartedly approve, an opinion poll showed Friday.

A poll of 1,004 young people, aged between 18 and 24, showed that nearly 70 per cent want to keep the royal family, even though half of them believe the British royals do ‘not provide value for money.’

The survey, commissioned by Discovery Channel, also found that Prince William, 25, was voted as the top choice for the next monarch – rather than his father, Prince Charles, who is heir to the throne.

Even Queen Elizabeth II gets boffo reviews in this poll (but then she’s now communicating to young people via the Internet):

Despite Queen Elizabeth II, at 81, is the oldest monarch on the throne in British history, 81 per cent of those questioned do not want her to step down.

Prince William, who is currently doing a spell in the armed forces, is the most popular member of the royal family among 18 to 24 year-olds, with 70 per cent wanting him to rule.

His girlfriend Kate Middleton, with whom he is back after a split last April, appears to be a hit with young Britons. Over 80 per cent thought that she would be a good addition to the royal family.

It has often been said over the years that Prince William most resembles his mother, the late Princess Diana. She seemed to have a kind of movie-star appeal both in her appearance and stories people would read about her. The poll suggests the same is now true with William, although it’s unlikely he’ll get to be King anytime soon.