Politics

Britons want Prince Charles as next king

PG
Sunday, 10-June-2012

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.

YouGov's poll for The Sunday Times newspaper found that 44 per cent of respondents want Charles to succeed his mother, with 38 per cent 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 per cent describing him as an asset to the royal family compared to 47 per cent 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 per cent 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.

Top Stories

Baghdad bombings claim 46 lives

BAGHDAD: Two bombings near a Sunni mosque north of Baghdad and at one at funeral in south killed at least 46 people and...

Pak should take serious notice of Altaf’s remarks: UK HC

LONDON: British High Commissioner (HC), Adam Thomson has said that UK police have received countless complaints against...

Gilchrist damages RCB's chances

BANGALORE: Adam Gilchrist’s unbeaten 85 off 54 balls, helped by Azhar Mahmood's 61 off 41, stunned Royal Challengers Ba...

Sindh: More than 154,000 polling staff to perform election duty

KARACHI: More than 154,000 staff will perform election duty at 14,980 polling stations across Sindh province, media repo...

Curfew in Hangu after attack on JUI-F rally kills ten

HANGU: A curfew was imposed in Hangu district after an explosion targeting a Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) candidate...

Bangladesh builds lead as it seeks to level series

Bangladesh take lead to 272 runs by stumps on Day 3HARARE: Bangladesh bowled Zimbabwe out for 282 and built a 272-run le...

Error-strewn Murray in shock Monaco exit

MONTE CARLO, Monaco, April 18, 2013 (AFP) - Roger Federer will return to second in the ATP standings next week after And...

Nawaz for level playing field for all in election

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said that all the political parties should be provid...

Boston police retract report of third explosion

BOSTON, Massachusetts: Boston police said Monday that what was initially thought to have been a third explosion in the c...

Govt orders to beef up security of ECP offices, political leaders

ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has decided to tighten security of Election Commission offices and political leaders. A...

EC changes tribunal for hearing appeals against Sharif brothers

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has changed the tribunal for hearing the appeals against Pakistan M...

Governor announces cash reward for CID police

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan has announced Rs2 million cash reward for the CID personnel over successf...

Two bodies found at Kharan, Hub

HUB: Two persons’ bodies were found at Kharan on Saturday morning here, media reported. Awaran S.P. Muhammad Rafiq Lasi ...

Violation of contracts by Libyan firms

Embassy takes serious notice of Pakistanis complaints Islamabad: The Head of Mission of Embassy of Libya in Islamabad h...

Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals: IPL

JAIPUR: Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash at the Sawai...

'World's greatest' chef Adria seeks digital legacy

HONG KONG: From foie gras noodles and liquid olives to air baguettes and mimetic peanuts, much of what elBulli chef Ferr...

2 killed as police van ambushed in Gujranwala

GUJRANWALA: At least two persons were killed and four others sustained injuries as unknown armed people opened fire on p...

Dollar firms in Asia

TOKYO: The dollar firmed against the yen and euro in Asia Wednesday, boosted by solid US economic data and a bleak outlo...

N Korea hints at reform with new PM

SEOUL In the middle of an escalating military crisis on the Korean peninsula, North Korea's appointment this week of an ...

Weather turns pleasant as rain lash Islamabad, Rawalpindi

ISLAMABAD: Weather turned pleasant in Islamabad and Rawalpindi as twin cities received rain here on Monday. According to...

PukhtoonistanGazette

Politics

Britons want Prince Charles as next king

Top Stories

Feature / Analysis

Opinion