Britons want Prince Charles as next king – poll

LONDON – Britain’s heir to the throne Prince Charles has overtaken his son William as the people’s preferred successor to Queen Elizabeth II in the wake of her diamond jubilee, a poll suggested on Sunday.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (2nd left), Prince Charles (left) and Prince William, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in central London, Tuesday, June 5, 2012, to conclude the four-day Diamond Jubilee celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. AP/LEFTERIS PITARAKIS

YouGov’s poll for The Sunday Times newspaper found that 44 percent of respondents want Charles to succeed his mother, with 38 percent opting for William.

The figures have been exactly reversed since a poll two weeks ago, suggesting Britons were impressed by how Charles stood in for his ill father Prince Philip at last weekend’s festivities marking the queen’s 60-year reign.

Philip, who celebrates his 91st birthday on Sunday, was released from hospital on Saturday after five days of treatment for a bladder infection that forced him to miss the final jubilee celebrations.

At the star-studded jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on Monday, thousands of revellers chanted Philip’s name after Charles told them, “If we shout loud enough, he might just hear us in hospital.”

Charles, 63, also paid a warm and witty tribute to his “mummy”, describing her “a very special person” as he took to the stage at the end of a concert featuring the likes of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.

With his father absent, Charles also stood beside his mother during Tuesday’s jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral, and joined her, along with his wife Camilla, in a horse-drawn carriage as she waved to more huge crowds.

Philip’s popularity has also risen in the wake of his illness, with 58 percent describing him as an asset to the royal family compared to 47 percent before the jubilee celebrations.

Prince William’s popularity surged after his engagement to Kate Middleton, who he married last year in a glittering ceremony that was broadcast around the world.

Support for the royal family remains high, with 75 percent of Britons in favour of keeping the monarchy, according to the YouGov poll.

Buckingham Palace told AFP that 1.5 million people had filled central London on Tuesday to cheer the 86-year-old queen, many waving Union Jack flags as she passed in her carriage and waved from the palace balcony.

Some 1.2 million people also lined London’s River Thames last Sunday for the spectacular 1,000-boat jubilee pageant, while street parties were held up and down the country.