Queen Elizabeth's public support

Apr 24, 2006, 15:16 GMT

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II should never retire, according to the public.

A recent poll - conducted to mark the monarch's 80th birthday last Friday (21.04.06) - revealed the queen has her nation's overwhelming support.

Almost two-thirds of the country - 64 percent - said she should never hand in her crown, with only one in five believing she should retire now.

The public were not so supportive of other members of the royal family.

Just over half of the country said the Prince of Wales would make a good king - and only 38 percent believe his wife Camilla should sit alongside him as queen.

The Ipos MORI poll also showed the country doesn't believe the monarchy will last.

Just 24 percent believe Britain will still be ruled by a king or queen in a century's time.

Meanwhile, crowds of supporters turned out to catch a glimpse of the monarch as she arrived at Windsor Castle for a special thanksgiving service yesterday (23.04.06).

More than 700 people watched the service, which was held to mark the milestone birthday, including former prime ministers Baroness Thatcher and Sir John Major, Earl Spencer, the brother of the Princess of Wales, and the Aga Khan.

During the service the Dean of Windsor, the Rt Rev David Conner, paid tribute to the queen's 'sense of calmness, serenity and stillness'.

He added: 'Your Majesty, not so much through word as by unselfconscious good example, you encourage us; you give us heart.'

Copyright 2006 BANG Media International