Less than half of Scotland’s people say they support maintaining the monarchy, according to a new major study that reveals the cultural divisions that are emerging in the union.
Nearly six in 10 people across Britain want to keep the monarchy for the foreseeable future, with only a quarter saying the end of the Queen’s reign would be a good time for Britain to become a republic. The vast majority, about 85%, expect Britain to still have a monarchy in a decade.
However, a survey by the British think tank for the future found that only 45% in Scotland said they wanted to keep the monarchy – 36% said the end of the queen’s reign would be the right time to move to the republic. About 19% either rejected the choice or said they did not know.
He also revealed weaker support among young people and ethnic minorities across the UK. Only 40% of 18-24 year olds supported the preservation of the monarchy, while 37% of ethnic minority people did so.
The revelations come at a crucial time for the monarchy, as Prince Charles assumes more of the Queen’s most important public duties. Last week, he delivered the Queen’s speech for the first time since she was forced to resign due to mobility problems. The occasion marks one of the most important ceremonial duties of the monarch. Her absence came just weeks before her platinum anniversary.
The four-day celebration will include several outings for the Queen, including a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The palace said she was currently planning to attend.
The Queen since Parliament was established in 2003. Photo: Scott Barber / Getty Images
The British Future survey revealed clear problems among certain groups. Young people expressed ambivalence about the future of the monarchy, with 37% believing that the end of the queen’s reign would be the right time to move forward and become a republic. Among people aged 16-18, only 36% agree that “we must keep the monarchy for the foreseeable future”.
The apparent decline in support for the Scottish monarchy compared to Britain as a whole also comes at a time when the union is under constant pressure. The SNP has said it is committed to maintaining the monarchy if Scotland votes for independence. A Panelbase survey last summer, formulated differently from the British Future survey, found that 47% of Scots adults would vote to retain a royal head of state, compared to 35% who would prefer an elected head of state.
Further growing divisions in relation to other symbols of national identity, such as the union’s flag, have been identified. Most respondents associate it with the monarchy (72%), Team GB (71%) and the armed forces (68%).
However, a quarter of people (25%) associate it with racism and extremism – an increase of 10 points since 2012. The flag of England is more controversial. While 60% of the public and 62% of minority groups consider it pride and patriotism, almost a third of society as a whole (32%) see it as racism and extremism, including 43% of ethnic minorities.
There were also suggestions that the forthcoming jubilee could be used as a means to further unite the British, but there was a relative lack of interest in Scotland. Only 48% of people north of the border are interested in the anniversary – less than they said they were interested in the World Cup in December, despite the fact that Scotland has not yet qualified.
This contrasts with 73% of people in Wales and two-thirds in England who are interested in next month’s events.
The findings are included in the upcoming British Future report, which looks at how attitudes have changed in the 10 years since the last anniversary. The survey was conducted for the study by FocalData. Sunder Katvala, director of British Future, said the anniversary provided a chance to unite the country: “Great events can unite people if they are done in an inclusive way that expands their reach and attractiveness,” he said. “Getting it right would be good for our society – and for the monarchy as well, by helping to tackle some of the challenges it faces in order to stay relevant in today’s Britain, especially in Scotland.
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