Royal Family faces breaking point as support drops below 50% for the first time

Public support for the Royal Family has fallen to an all time low of just 48 percent, according to a new poll.

When asked "What would you prefer for the UK, a monarchy or an elected head of state?" a third (32%) said they would prefer an elected head of state.

The Savanta poll shows that less than half of all respondents in all age groups under 55 preferred having the Royal Family.

Speaking for anti-monarchy Republic, who commissioned the poll, Graham Smith said: "This is huge. Royalists have spent years saying the monarchy has the support of the country. That's clearly no longer the case.

"The monarchy is suffering a calamitous loss of support, yet one in five aren't yet sure about the alternative. We desperately need a better informed, more robust and higher profile debate about what it means to abolish the monarchy.

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"The same poll carried out in late November showed just 52 percent preferred the monarchy, and in just six weeks they've dropped four points.

"The monarchy relies on a fake mandate built on polling numbers, yet that argument no longer stands up."

Smith said that Prince Andrew "has clearly done significant damage to the monarchy, but Charles is the one responsible".

It comes amid renewed attention on the Duke of York after he was named in court documents relating to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York has consistently denied any wrongdoing.