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More than three in five believe she should not be crowned Queen when Charles ascends to the throne. Less than one quarter think she should. The UK is also split on the future role of Charles, 72. Succession should leapfrog the heir to the throne, according to 41 percent of those surveyed for this newspaper. A broadly similar number – 44 percent – believe he should take over as head of The Firm.
Royal author Phil Dampier said: “The fact more than 60 per cent of people don’t want Camilla to become Queen when Charles ascends the throne is worrying for Charles and Palace courtiers.
“The recent death of Prince Philip reminds us that, sadly, the Queen will one day leave us, and it’s no longer a distant prospect.
“When people meet Camilla they warm to her and she has a very good relationship with the Press.
“She has done her best under the circumstances but there is still clearly a hard core of the public who will never accept her as Queen.
“The Palace is always vague about her position, and I suspect that when the time comes attitudes will change and she will be accepted more.
“But of course she could be in her late seventies by then and it will be a physically and mentally demanding role to take on.”
The poll of 2,011 UK adults was carried out by Savanta ComRes on June 29 and 30.
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On what would have been her 60th birthday today
The Duchess of Cambridge polls on 10 percent, but to the surprise of many, Prince Harry comes next on nine per cent, pipping Prince William who polls eight per cent.
Meanwhile, three in five think Diana would have supported Harry and Meghan’s decision to quit royal life, while just one in six think she would have opposed their decision to up sticks to the US.
One third believes Diana was treated unfairly by the Queen, who was criticised for staying at Balmoral after she died. However, 49 percent say she was treated fairly by the monarch.
Just one quarter say she was treated fairly by Prince Charles, compared to two thirds who say she was treated unfairly by her former husband.
Three quarters agree that Princess Diana was the Queen of People’s hearts – popularly known as The People’s Princess.
And more than half said she changed the Royal Family, and the UK in general, for the better. Only eight and five percent respectively believe she made either worse.
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More than half agree with the inquest verdict that Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were unlawfully killed in Paris on August 31, 1997, due to the driving of their chauffeur Henri Paul and the paparazzi, with just one in six disagreeing.
Mr Dampier added: “With a Prime Minister whose love life has always been erratic, and so many people who have been divorced themselves, it’s surprising Camilla is still regarded as the woman who wrecked Charles’s first marriage, but it shows how popular Diana was.
“With 76 percent regarding Diana as the Queen of People’s hearts, it confirms her iconic status, even though there are married couples with children walking around who weren’t alive when she died.
“The result that surprises me most, and frankly I don’t believe, is that Harry is more popular than William.
“To me William and Kate have played a blinder in the last two years and their popularity has soared, while most people I know are not happy with Harry and Meghan for quitting the royal family.
“While 41 per cent might not want Charles to become King, it won’t stop it happening.
“He has hardly waited his entire life for the job only to miss out, although obviously his reign will be a relatively short one and the Queen is an impossible act to follow.
“As we remember Diana on what would have been her 60th birthday, it’s clear the affection for her is still immense, and Diana fans would love to see the statue unveiling as an opportunity for William and Harry to bury their differences in tribute to her.”
Royal expert Margaret Holder said: “After nearly a quarter of a century Diana still casts a long shadow over the House of Windsor. Astonishingly she is as popular as the Queen despite Her Majesty’s long service.
“The eternal triangle of Charles, Diana and Camilla still resonates and may yet determine the course of royal history.
“Charles needs to reflect on his own poor showing in these polls – 65 percent saying he treated Diana unfairly is a high proportion.
“Public opinion is not encouraging for his kingship. He has had plenty of time to connect better but follows his own inclinations. People are far less interested in his Sustainable Markets Initiative than a sustainable framework for the royals when the Queen has gone.
“He has shown himself to be woefully inept at dealing with Harry and Meghan who have run rings round the monarchy. Diana would not have supported some of their actions which might damage the monarchy.
“His absence from the Diana statue unveiling beside his feuding sons shows cowardice – not a promising prospect for a future king.”
Charles and Camilla wed in a civil ceremony on April 9, 2005.
In the intervening 16 years, she has cemented her status as a hardworking royal and grown in the public’s estimation.
However, their affair and the spectre of Diana still looms large.
YouGov’s Royal Family favourability tracker from October last year shows opinion on Camilla was split with 44 per cent viewing her positively and 43 per cent negatively.
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