Lukewarm views on the Monarchy in Scotland

As the date for King Charles’s coronation is set, new research by Ipsos finds that the Scottish public are only lukewarm towards the Monarchy and its place in Scotland. On balance though, there is more support than opposition for the Monarchy remaining in Scotland even if the country was to become independent in the future.

Views on the Monarchy in Scotland

The Scottish public have mixed views on whether Scotland would be better or worse off without the Monarchy, with 28% saying it would be worse for Scotland in the future if it was abolished and 26% saying it would be better for Scotland. For 4 in 10 Scots (40%), it would make no difference either way.

• Among those who voted SNP at the 2021 Holyrood elections, 41% said that Scotland would be better off without the Monarchy, while 9% said the country would be worse off and 44% said it would make no difference.
• Among those who voted Conservative at the 2021 Holyrood elections, 68% said that Scotland would be worse off, compared to 4% saying the country would be better off and 25% saying it would make no difference.
• Young people aged under 35 are more likely to feel that Scotland would be better off if the Monarchy was abolished than those aged over 55 (42% of under 35s compared to 16% of over 55s). Among the over 55s the reverse is true, with 41% saying that Scotland would be worse off if the Monarchy was abolished (compared to 15% of under 35s). Among both age groups, over a third thought it would make no difference either way (38% among over 55s and 36% among under 35s).

The Monarchy in an independent Scotland

If Scotland were to become an independent country, over 4 in 10 Scots (42%) support the idea of keeping the reigning UK Monarch as head of state. Over a quarter (29%) oppose this, while just under a quarter (23%) have no view either way.

• Support for keeping the Monarchy in an independent Scotland is high among Conservative voters (74%), with over half (56%) saying they strongly support this. Just over 1 in 10 Conservative voters oppose keeping the Monarchy (12%) and 14% didn’t have a view either way. Support is also higher among Liberal Democrat voters (63%), with 17% opposed and 15% neither for nor against.
• Opposition to keeping the Monarchy in Scotland is higher among SNP voters (40%), with 28% in support and 29% neither for nor against.
• Support is also stronger among over 55s, with around half (52%) in favour of retaining the Monarchy (compared to 31% of those under 35). Opposition to keeping the Monarchy in an independent Scotland is higher among under 35s (37%) compared to over 55s (22%). Over a quarter (27%) of under 35s neither support nor oppose it compared to 21% of over 55s.

Emily Gray, Managing Director of Ipsos in Scotland, commented:

These new results show the public mood in Scotland is lukewarm towards the Monarchy. Although the SNP's plan for an independent Scotland involves retaining the UK monarch as head of state, SNP voters are more likely to oppose this than those who voted for Unionist parties at the last Holyrood elections are. In order to maintain and build support, the monarchy might want to focus on improving perceptions of its relevance among young people, where backing for the institution is weaker.

Technical Note

• Ipsos interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,000 adults aged 16+ in Scotland.
• Interviews took place online between 29th September and 5th October 2022.
• Data has been weighted to the known offline population proportions.
• Where results do not sum to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of “don’t know” categories.
• All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.