Australians have a positive opinion of King Charles III but interest in his coronation is modest

New research by YouGov’s Public Affairs and Polling Team shows that Australians were only modestly interested in the Coronation ceremony of Charles III on 6^th May 2023. While overall, a majority (57%) expressed at least a little interest in the ceremony, only 14% were very interested in the coronation while 19% were fairly interested. Additionally, just over half of Australians (52%) had a positive opinion of King Charles III, a 9-percentage point increase between March 2021 and April 2023.

Most women (61%) expressed at least a little interest in the coronation compared to just 53% of men.

While interest in the coronation ceremony across all age groups was modest, there was still a noticeable difference between the youngest and oldest generations. Baby Boomers (65%) and the Silent Generation (81%) were also most likely to express at least a little interest in the coronation compared to Millennials (56%) and Gen Zs (47%). Gen Z are the only age group where a majority (53%) said they have no interest at all.

Australians were also divided on their opinions on certain members of the royal family. While the likes of William, Prince of Wales (73%) and Catherine, Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton) (76%) enjoyed high ratings among Australians, the duo of Prince Harry (38%) and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle) (27%) fared poorly. In fact, between March 2021 and April 2023, Prince Harry (-23% points) and Meghan (-19% points) saw the biggest drop off in positive opinions compared to other royals. Most Australians also thought poorly of Prince Andrew (72%), making him the least favoured royal.

While both the King and the Queen have improved in the two-year period, half of all Australians still have a negative opinion of the Queen Consort. According to Dr. Campbell White, Head of Polling YouGov Asia-Pacific, “This is a big contrast to what we’ve seen in the UK, where Queen Camilla has improved considerably over the years as people have seen her efforts for charity and royal duties. Perhaps in Australia, people still view her through the prism of past relationships.”

Methodology

YouGov interviewed 1,514 Australian citizens online between 19^th April and 22^nd April 2023. YouGov, a member of the Australian Polling Council, supports its goals of greater transparency in Australian polling, and complies with its Code of Conduct. A methodology statement will be available within two days at https://au.yougov.com/results/apc.