BBC Panorama’s YouGov opinion polls may have exposed a major divide between the monarchy and those with ethnic backgrounds ahead of the King’s coronation.
Only 38% of ethnic minorities in the poll believed the monarchy should continue compared to 62% of white voters.
The polls also showed 49% of ethnic minorities believed that the monarchy have a problem with race and diversity compared to 29% of white people.
On its website, anti-monarchy campaign group Republic said: “To date, none of the senior royals has commented on issues of racial equality, such as the Black Lives Matter and the discrepancy of deaths from Covid-19 among Black British, African, Asian populations, although they choose frequently to speak out about the social and political issues which suit their own agendas.”
The Royals have faced race-related scandals recently, such as the one which resulted in the resignation of Lady Susan Hussey last year.
Comments she reportedly made were later described by the palace as ‘unacceptable and deeply regrettable’.
Meghan Markle also made allegations in 2021 that a member of the royal family had made comments about her then unborn child’s skin colour.
The survey further found that London has the lowest percentage of support for the monarchy compared to the other regions, with just 48% in favour of the monarchy.
The polls also showed a clear divide between the elderly and younger generations, with the elderly being more pro-monarchy and the younger generation being more anti-monarchy.
Moreover, 47% of 18-35 year olds believe the monarchy have a problem with race and diversity compared to 17% of 65+ year olds.
They also had very opposing views on King Charles himself, with 59% of 18-25 year olds believing he is out of touch with the British public’s experiences and 51% of those aged 65+ believing he’s in touch.
In addition, 58% of all voters expressed no interest in the royal family.
Buckingham Palace was contacted for comment.
