Survey finds 52% of Australians want a republic and only 22% prefer the monarchy, with appetite lowest among the young

The engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has not turned young Australians into royalists, with a new poll showing support for the monarchy is at a record low and is weakest among those aged 18 to 34.

The survey of 1,000 people conducted by market research company Research Now found 52% of Australians support a shift to a republic, while 25% are unsure and 22% prefer the monarchy.

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While many young Australians did not have strong views either way, they are not likely to be won over by the young royals. Almost one-third of those surveyed aged 18 to 24 said they were more likely to support a republic because of Prince Harry’s engagement and the Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy, while 62% said the events had no effect on their opinion.

Support for the monarchy is highest among those aged 65 years and over, with 36% disagreeing that Australia should become a republic.

It’s a slightly worse result for monarchists in comparison to an Essential survey of 1000 Australians in January, which found 44% support for a republic and 29% opposition.

Benjamin Jones, a research fellow in the school of history at the Australian National University, said Australians had always been able to separate the cult of celebrity and big royal events from constitutional matters.



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“It’s an insult to the intelligence of young Australians to say that because they enjoy watching royal weddings, they want a royal to be the Australian head of state,” he said. “They might also enjoy reading about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but no one is advocating they be the head of state.”

Jones, who recently wrote a book advocating for a republic, acknowledged the wording of the question (“To what extent do you agree that Australia should be a republic with an Australian as head of state?”) in the survey, which was commissioned by the Australian Republic Movement, was “a bit slanted” in favour of a pro-republic result. But he said it is similar to the wording supported by the opposition leader, Bill Shorten.

Shorten has promised Labor would hold a national vote on Australia becoming a republic if it won the next election.