In a change of mood after the gala diamond jubilee celebrations, Prince Charles has overtaken his son William as the people's choice to succeed Queen Elizabeth II, according to a new poll here.
A YouGov poll for The Times said that Charles, 63, is now considered the best person to take over the throne, reversing previous findings that the crown should go straight to Prince William.
A fortnight ago, 44 per cent of people said they would prefer William, 29, to be the next king, compared with 38 per cent who favoured Charles. Following the jubilee, the figures have been exactly reversed. The last poll to record Charles as the favoured successor to the 86-year-old Queen was in 2005.
The celebrations, including Charles's witty speech after the concert and the way he stood in for his father, who was taken to hospital with a bladder infection, have boosted his popularity. The Duke of Edinburgh was released from hospital later and and celebrated his 91st birthday with the Queen in private.
Philip's popularity has also risen. Before the jubilee events, 47 per cent said Philip was an asset to the royal family but now 58 per cent say so.
Support for the Queen and royal family remains high, with 75 per cent of people saying they want to keep the monarchy. Buckingham Palace said the Queen received 71,000 emails and 60,000 letters of congratulations for the jubilee.