BRITAIN: The majority of people in Britain believe Prince Charles should marry Ms Camilla Parker Bowles, according to polls published yesterday.
Since the death of the Queen Mother, the prince's popularity has soared, and two surveys show that the population favours Prince Charles marrying his partner.
A survey for the Sunday People, found that 57 per cent of those questioned said the couple should wed and a poll for the Sunday Mirror found that 69 per cent also backed marriage for the couple, or agreed they should carry on living together.
The results will come as a boost to Prince Charles who has long been taking steps to "normalise" his relationship with Ms Parker Bowles within the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth was introduced to Ms Parker Bowles at a Highgrove barbecue for the 60th birthday of ex-King Constantine of Greece and last month the couple attended a Buckingham Palace concert with the queen.
Of the 1,000 people polled for the Sunday People, 16 per cent said Ms Parker Bowles and Prince Charles should get married this year, while 20 per cent believe they should wed within the next five years.
Some 31 per cent were against the idea and 12 per cent were undecided. Their research also found that 37 per cent thought that Queen Elizabeth should step down to make way for her son and heir. Some 63 per cent of 16- to 34-year-olds backed a royal wedding while half of those aged over 55 agreed.
More than half of all those polled favoured a title for Ms Parker Bowles, but only 8 per cent thought that she should rule alongside Prince Charles as queen. A quarter believed she should be given some royal title with 19 per cent favouring "official royal consort". The poll for the Sunday Mirror found that 56 per cent supported Prince Charles marrying Ms Parker Bowles and to go on to become king, although 65 per cent believe she should not be queen but remain his consort.
Half of those polled thought Queen Elizabeth should remain monarch until her death against 29 per cent who said she should abdicate this year.