Support in Britain for the royal family has slumped below 50 per cent for the first time, according to a Guardian/ICM poll published yesterday, with a growing minority believing Britain would be better off without the monarchy. The poll also shows that in time, solid support for the royal family will literally "die out" with the over-65s, the only age group to show a clear majority who believe Britain would be worse off without them.
The fall in popular support for the royal family - tumbling from 70 per cent three years ago - reveals the damage that has been inflicted on the monarchy's reputation by the repeated revelations culminating in intense speculation about the new relationship between Princess Diana and Mr Dodi al-Fayed, son of the chairman of London's world famous department store, Harrods.
But the poll also shows that support has grown over the past year for the prince to become king if he marries Ms Camilla Parker Bowles.
There is, however, continuing hostility to Prince Charles naming Ms Parker Bowles as queen, with more than three-quarters of the public opposing the idea. Yesterday's survey shows that the royal family's reputation has suffered a body blow, with the proportion who think Britain would be worse off without them falling below 50 per cent for the first time to 48 points.
Outright hostility to the royal family has grown from 13 per cent a decade ago to 30 per cent now.
The figures show that more 18- to 24-year-olds now think Britain would be better off without the monarchy (36 per cent) than say they support the royal family (34 per cent). Only among the over65s is there really solid support for the queen, with the approval ratings at 56 per cent.
The growing lack of confidence in the monarchy is also reflected in the results when ICM asked if people thought the royal family would still be here in 10, 50 or 100 years' time.
Nearly half those interviewed said they believed the monarchy was doomed within the next 50 years, although nearly four out of five believe it will survive the next decade.
The ICM poll also shows support has grown over the past year for Prince Charles to become king if he marries Ms Parker Bowles, with 55 per cent saying he should take the throne, compared with 44 per cent a year ago. Outright opposition to his becoming king is down five points to 40 per cent.
However, those saying marriage to Ms Parker Bowles should disqualify him from his traditional role as head of the Church of England on his accession has grown from 19 per cent to 26 per cent.