A LARGE majority of the British people do not want the Queen to abdicate in favour of the Prince of Wales in the next few years, according to a Populus poll for The Times.

A third of the country thinks that Prince Charles’s marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles will weaken the monarchy, with only a tiny minority believing it will strengthen it, the poll, taken after the wedding was announced, indicates.

But the public is more supportive of the marriage, planned for April 8, now that the Prince and Mrs Parker Bowles have made their decision, with 43 per cent approving of it, compared with 32 per cent last summer.

Asked whether the Queen, who is 79, should hand over to the Prince in the next few years, 25 per cent said “yes” and 66 per cent “no”. The findings are certain to fuel debate over whether the monarchy should skip a generation with Prince William becoming the next King.

Opposition to an early abdication is widespread. Only among the 18-24 age group do more people favour the Queen stepping aside (44 per cent) than carrying on (37 per cent).

Asked about their attitude to the marriage, 43 per cent approved, 22 per cent disapproved and 30 per cent did not care. Last June only 32 per cent said that they would approve of a marriage, with 29 per cent against it and 38 per cent not caring.

The increasing support comes from all groups, apart from the 18-24 age group and is most marked among women, where approval has risen by 15 percentage points. The approval rating has risen particularly among the Charles and Camilla generation; 56 per cent of 55-64 year-olds approve, compared with 27 per cent last summer.

But people do not believe that the marriage will bolster the monarchy. Asked whether the marriage would strengthen the institution, half said that it would make no difference, with 33 per cer cent saying that it would weaken the monarchy and only 8 per cent thinking that it would strengthen it. The 45-54 age group is most inclined to think that it will weaken the monarchy (47 per cent) while 34 per cent of women agree, with 31 per cent of men.

The objections to an early abdication will be noted by Buckingham Palace. According to friends, the Prince privately fears that, despite marrying Mrs Parker Bowles, he will never be King. The Prince, 56, is prone to despondency over the prospects of his succession. His closest friends hope that marriage will make him more at peace with himself.

One courtier said: “There is a fear he will not succeed. He has talked of it. He might die before his mother. He might be too old or too weak to become King by the time he succeeds.”

The friend dismissed speculation that the Prince would stand down in favour of Prince William if he did not succeed before his late sixties or seventies. “It has never even been considered. But it would be different if his health was bad.”

Only yesterday Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Queen, who is in remarkably good health, had no intention of abdicating. The memory of the 1936 crisis is seared on her consciousness. The Palace said yesterday: “The Queen made a lifelong public commitment to her duty when she was 21. This question does not arise.”

A spokeswoman added that there were no plans for the Queen to scale down her public duties in favour of the Prince and his new wife.

The Times has learnt that Mrs Parker Bowles’s platinum and diamond engagement ring was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The choice could not be more symbolic. The Prince was very close to his grandmother. He has chosen to spend his honeymoon with Mrs Parker Bowles at Birkhall, the Queen Mother’s former home on the Balmoral estate.

Populus interviewed a random sample of 502 adults aged over 18 by telephone between February 10-11. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council. More details www.populuslimited.com

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