CANBERRA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Support for the British monarchy in Australia has hit a record low, a survey has found.
A poll of 1,000 people undertaken by market research company Research Now found that the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had done little to turn Australians into royalists.
According to the poll, 52 percent of Australians now support a shift to a republic while 25 percent were unsure and only 22 percent preferred the monarchy.
Among respondents aged between 18 and 24, almost one third of respondents said the announcement of Prince Harry's engagement and the Duchess of Cambridge's third pregnancy made them more likely to support a republic while 62 percent said the events had no effect on their opinion.
Support for the monarchy remained strongest among those aged 65 years and above with 36 percent disagreeing that Australia should become a republic.
Research Now's poll presented a significantly worse result for monarchists than an Essential poll published in July which returned a result of 44 percent support for a republic and 29 percent opposition.
In order for Australia to become a republic, a referendum on changing the constitution must be successful.
Despite leading the referendum cause at the 1999 referendum, which was defeated by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ruled out introducing another referendum under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has promised that a referendum would be held as soon as possible if he is elected prime minister.
