Britannist

Besoeker, Don't listen to the figures he gives - he often gets them wrong and/or exaggerates. In 'rough' figures opinion polls have shown an underlying trend of about a fifth of the voting population across the UK who claim they don't support the Monarchy. However, not all of these people would actually vote for a republic. Some might switch from being republican to being 'agnostic' on Royalty - or even actually vote to keep the Monarchy when presented with the awful alternatives (i.e. John Prescott or Michael Heseltine as President).

The 'rough' figure of a fifth of electors being republican is just about the highest figure the anti-Monarchists have managed to get - 15% is a more realistic figure of the number of republicans in the UK.

If you look at England only, the number of republicans is lower than the 15% - 20% mentioned above.

Incidentally, the lowest level of support for the Monarchy in opinion polls here - 70% is still much higher than the best ever approval rating President Chirac or President Mitterand got as republican head of state in France. In other words, the British Monarchy at its least popular point in the polls (70%) is still more popular than the French Presidency is on its highest ever rating in the opinion polls with the French people.

There's also one other point I just thought I'd add - about a third of the people of the Irish Republic believe, according to an opinion poll, that the Irish Presidency is a waste of money. Far higher than the number of people over here who think the Monarch is a waste of money.

The number backing the Monarchy in the UK (at least 48 million people according to opinion polls) is over five times the number who voted for Blair's Lie-bour Party at the last General Election.