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The British public’s support for the monarchy has fallen further as the Epstein scandal continues, according to a new survey.<\/p>\n
A poll carried out by Savanta and commissioned by anti-monarchy campaign group Republic found that only 45% of Britons support the royal family<\/a>, down from 48% four months ago.<\/p>\n It surveyed more than 2,100 adults and asked: \u201cWhat would you prefer for the UK: a monarchy or an elected head of state?\u201d.<\/p>\n Those who preferred an elected head of state remained at 32% from October, while those who did not know increased from 20% to 24%.<\/p>\n The results were published as Thames Valley Police confirmed it was assessing reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential reports with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein<\/a> while he was the UK’s trade envoy.<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace made an unprecedented statement in which it said King Charles had made clear his \u201cprofound concern\u201d at the allegations about his brother’s conduct, adding that the palace will \u201cstand ready to support\u201d the police<\/a> if approached over fresh claims.<\/p>\n The Prince and Princess of Wales also addressed the Epstein scandal this week, with Kensington Palace saying they were \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d at the \u201ccontinued revelations\u201d and that their thoughts \u201cremain focused on the victims\u201d.<\/p>\n Andrew, who was stripped of his titles by the King last year, has always denied any wrongdoing. He has left his home at Royal Lodge<\/a> for the King’s private Sandringham estate, with the King funding his new life with an annual stipend.<\/p>\n Republic\u2019s chief executive Graham Smith, who reported Andrew to the police over the trade envoy allegations, said: \u201cThe monarchy is losing its one claim to legitimacy, opinion poll ratings. Falling support is unsurprising given the gravity of accusations against Andrew.\u201d<\/p>\n What do you think? Has the Epstein scandal changed your stance on the royals? Let us know in the polls below:<\/strong><\/p>\n What do you think of the royal family? Has the Epstein scandal changed your viewpoint? Have your say and your comment may be featured in our results article on Friday.<\/p>\n