Most Brits not interested in wedding: poll

A global audience will be watching when Prince Harry weds his American fiancee Meghan Markle, but most Britons don't care much, a YouGov poll said on Monday.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been a couple officially since November 2016.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been a couple officially since November 2016. Source: Getty Images

The poll, commissioned by anti-monarchist pressure group Republic, found that 66 percent of Britons are not interested in the event, with 60 per cent of Britons planning to have a normal weekend.

Harry and Markle are set to marry on Saturday at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle with more than 5000 media staff and around 100,000 well-wishers expected to descend on the market town.
Meghan Markle visits Millenium Point on March 8, 2018 in Birmingham, England
Meghan Markle visit Millenium Point on March 8, 2018 in Birmingham, England Source: Getty Images Europe
The poll by polling firm YouGov showed that 57 per cent of respondents believed the royal family should pay not only for the wedding but also for the costs of police.

An opinion poll published last week showed that most Britons are in favour of the monarchy continuing in Britain.

And another poll by polling firm ComRes found 58 per cent of respondents thought the royal wedding and the recent birth of Prince Louis to Prince William and his wife Kate were events of which Britain could be proud, although support was more pronounced among older people.
The YouGov survey suggested that the popularity of the royal family is contingent on the personalities of its members. While 60 per cent of respondents said they liked Queen Elizabeth, her son Charles was far less popular.

Nearly half the respondents would prefer "someone else" to succeed the Queen, while only 37 per cent want Charles, who is the father of Harry and his older brother William.

"This YouGov poll shows a very clear picture of a nation disinterested and apathetic about the royal family," Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, said.

"We're not a nation of republicans yet - but we've stopped being a nation of royalists."


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Published 15 May 2018 11:37am


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