NAMES IN THE NEWS : Britons Firmly Royalist but Think Queen Should Put Charles in Charge

LONDON — Four out of five Britons remain firmly royalist but nearly 60% think Queen Elizabeth II should step down to allow her eldest son, Prince Charles, to become king, according to an opinion poll published today.

The Gallup poll, published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, reported that 82% of those questioned said they were in favor of the British monarchy, just 14% wanted it abolished and the rest expressed no opinion. But 59% said they thought the 62-year-old queen should “retire” early, allowing 40-year-old Charles to become king.

Because of the disgrace surrounding the abdication in 1936 of her uncle, King Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor, in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, Elizabeth has said she will never abdicate.