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Most British people are not interested in King’s coronation – poll

YouGov conducted a survey of 3,000 adults this month.

Laura Parnaby
Friday 14 April 2023 10:35 BST
The King and Queen Consort will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey (Yui Mok/PA)
The King and Queen Consort will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

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Most British people are not interested in the King’s coronation, though many said they would still watch it or take part in related festivities, according to a YouGov poll.

In a survey of more than 3,000 adults conducted this month, 35% said they “do not care very much” about the historic event, and 29% said they “do not care at all”.

Some 24% of people said they care “a fair amount”, while only 9% said they care “a great deal”.

Despite this, a notable portion, 46%, said they are likely to watch the coronation or take part in related celebrations.

Coronation apathy is particularly high among younger age groups, with 75% of people aged between 18 and 24 saying they do not care “very much” or “at all” about the event, and 69% of those aged between 25 and 49 saying the same.

Even among the over-65s, the most pro-royal demographic, 53% said they did not care “very much” or “at all”.

The symbolic religious ceremony, during which Charles will be officially crowned King, is due to take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in central London.

The Duke of Sussex has said he will be taking part, but the Duchess of Sussex will stay in the US and miss Charles’s big day.

Much of the British public feel indifferent about the couple’s attendance, the YouGov survey suggests, with 46% of people saying they “don’t mind either way” about their presence.

Only 12% said they supported the current situation of Harry attending without Meghan, and 27% said neither should attend.

Some 15% said they wanted both Harry and Meghan to take part.

Older Britons were more opinionated on the matter, with 48% of over-65s saying they wanted both Harry and Meghan to stay at home, compared with 10% of 18-to-24 year olds who said the same.

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