London - Support for the royal family in Britain has fallen to its lowest level in modern times, with only 44 per cent of the public believing that the state would be worse off without the monarchy, according to a Guardian/ICM opinion poll published today.
The survey suggests, however, that it is a growing indifference to the royal family rather than a rise in republicanism that is responsible for the spectacular slide in royal popularity since the late 1980s and early 1990s when repeated ICM polls showed more than 70 per cent of the public believed Britain would be worse off without the royal family.
A comparison of the poll results with Guardian/ICM surveys over the last 13 years shows that the royal family is now held in less affection than the previous low point in their fortunes in August 1997 when their support fell below 50 per cent for the first time, just before the death of Princess Diana.
