BRITAIN: There were mixed messages for Prince Charles and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles yesterday from the first tests of British reaction to the news of their April 8th marriage.
While a clear majority - 65 per cent - told YouGov the prince was right to marry his long-term love, the same poll found resistance to her acquiring the title Princess Consort if and when Prince Charles accedes to the throne - and outright opposition to her ever becoming queen.
Moreover the poll - conducted online for the Daily Telegraph on Thursday - also found for the first time, that more people would prefer the monarchy to skip a generation and see Prince William (22) succeed his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, upon her death or abdication.
Meanwhile of some 14,000 votes cast in a GMTV poll, just 40 per cent were for the wedding while 60 per cent were against.
While hardly registering the definitive response of a British public taken by surprise by Thursday's announcement, these initial findings underline the struggle ahead for Clarence House and Buckingham Palace if they are to win public backing for the soon- to-be Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall.
Without a radical shift in opinion, they also suggest that Prince Charles's accession with Camilla by his side could further undermine support for the monarchy.
Fading hostility to Camilla over her role in the break-up of Charles's marriage to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is reflected in the generally benign response to the proposed marriage. Only 24 per cent told YouGov they were against, compared with 46 per cent in 1998. However the survey found only 40 per cent in favour of Camilla becoming Princess Consort to a future King Charles, while 47 per cent thought she should not have any title at all.
Assuming Prince Charles's accession, just 7 per cent said Camilla should become queen.
When asked about Prince Charles's future role, only 37 per cent said he should succeed Queen Elizabeth, while 41 per cent said Prince William should succeed; 19 per cent said there should be no monarch after her. If Prince Charles did become king, 49 per cent said he should not become supreme governor of the Church of England, with just 37 per cent saying he should. Overall 52 per cent of those surveyed thought the couple's decision to marry would not make any difference to the monarchy, while just 8 per cent said it would strengthen the monarchy as opposed to 36 per cent who said it would weaken it.