FIT FOR A KING? A THIRD OF GEN Z BELIEVE THE NEXT KING OR QUEEN SHOULD BE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED

Thursday, 10^th October, London: More than a third (36%) of Gen-Z believe that that the monarch should be a democratically elected position, with almost half (45%) wanting to be King or Queen if given the opportunity, and 34% believing they would be a better ruler than King Charles, according to new research revealed today.

The study, commissioned by SEGA® Europe Limited to celebrate the launch of the critically acclaimed Metaphor: ReFantazio, found that while almost two-thirds (63%) think the UK should have a monarch, just a quarter (23%) of Gen-Z believe the next King or Queen should be decided as it is now by passing the crown to the first-born child. Indeed, one in ten (9%) go as far as saying monarchs should have to win a war to be able to claim the throne.

Money (46%), travelling the world (41%), living in a palace (34%) and power (32%) are among the leading reasons why Brits are interested in becoming the country’s sovereign. However, too much media attention (50%), a lack of privacy (49%), no freedom to live the life you truly want (37%) and having to remain politically neutral (24%) were all cited as potential downsides that would put Brits off from wanting to take the throne.

To mark the launch of Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new role-playing video game which sees the fantasy world of the United Kingdom of Euchronia embroiled in a royal tournament to decide the heir to its throne, SEGA and ATLUS have partnered with the world’s smallest country, Sealand, to confer a bespoke noble title on one lucky fan - Hand to the Sovereign Prince of Sealand.

The generational divide

Although three out of five (62%) Brits believe the Royal Family is important to the country's culture, there is a stark distinction in the level of support from different age groups. Indeed, Boomers (57%) are almost twice as likely to support the idea of the monarchy as Gen-Z (32%), leading 58% of Boomers to say they are proud to have the British Royal family represent the country, compared to just a third (34%) of Gen-Z. Furthermore, 44% of Gen-Z believe the concept of the Royal Family is fundamentally unfair, while just 29% of Boomers share this view.

Seven out of ten (70%) Brits believe the British Royal Family's priority should be to serve the nation, with four out of five (80%) Boomers holding this view compared to barely half (55%) of Gen-Z. As a result, the majority (51%) of Boomers would want to be King or Queen because they want to fulfil a duty for their country, compared to less than a third (29%) of Gen-Z, and two out of five (39%) Boomers want to take the opportunity to do charity work in contrast to only 31% of Gen-Z.

What do Brits want from the Royal Family?

Half (49%) believe that the British Royal Family is the most prestigious Royal Family in the world, listing its appeal for tourists (56%), its historical significance (52%) and the international prestige the monarchy brings the UK (43%) as reasons for the country to maintain its sovereign.

However, almost half (45%) of Brits believe the Royal Family receives too much public money. That being said, a third (36%) think the monarch should be more involved with how the country is run and a quarter (27%) think the monarch should have more power, with two out of five (43%) bemoaning the King and Queen’s inability to make any real changes to positively impact the lives of the average citizen.

Two out of five (40%) Brits admit they are not knowledgeable about the history of the Royal Family, leading more than half (54%) to believe there should be more of a focus on teaching the history of the British monarchy in schools. Furthermore, 42% of the country wants to watch a reality TV show that features a behind-the-scenes look at the everyday lives of the Windsors.

Dan Lazarides, VP Marketing at SEGA West EMEA, said: “When you think about the United Kingdom, the Royal Family is one of the most iconic elements that comes to mind. A constant presence throughout our lives on our TV screens and in our newspapers and magazines, it’s no wonder so many Brits think they could do the job of monarch just as well. We’re excited to give gamers the chance to see if they have what it takes to secure the support of a nation and take to the throne themselves in Metaphor: ReFantazio.”

Liam Bates, Prince of Sealand, said: “When my grandfather founded Sealand in the 1960s, one of his first actions was to bestow the title of ‘Princess Joan’ on my grandmother. In the more than five decades since, we’ve established several Noble titles, but never a Hand to the Prince. We’ve achieved a lot as the world’s smallest nation but this partnership with SEGA and ATLUS to create a one-off title marks our first foray into the world of videogames, and it’s a venture future Sealand Royals will look back on with pride.”

Who would Brits want as King or Queen?

Three out of five (60%) Brits believe that King Charles has the requisite traits to be a good ruler. However, with empathy (33%), kind-heartedness (28%) and humility (24%) among the most desirable characteristics that the country feels a successful monarch needs, the research found that there are some notable alternative names which Brits would consider as potential sovereigns. Sir David Attenborough (22%) tops the list of celebrities that Brits would most like to be ruled by, followed by Dame Judi Dench (16%).

Perhaps surprisingly, given the well-publicised falling out with his family, two-thirds (64%) of Gen-Z feel Prince Harry would be as good a ruler, if not better, than King Charles, followed by singing superstar Adele (60%), former England captain David Beckham (55%) and grime artist Stormzy (54%). 

Metaphor: ReFantazio is an all-new fantasy RPG from the creative minds of Persona 3, 4, and 5. Players will write their destiny and rise above fear as they step into a fantasy world unlike any other in a perilous race for the throne. Metaphor: ReFantazio is available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Steam from Friday 11^th October. Pre-order here: www.sega.com/metaphor/metaphor-refantazio.

For those interested in being officially named the Hand to the Sovereign Prince of Sealand, you can find out more information about how to get involved by the following the instructions on the relevant posts on ATLUS’ X or Instagram pages.

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Notes to Editors

SEGA Europe commissioned Censuswide to survey 2,026 adults from across the UK between 27.09.24 – 30.09.24.

About SEGA Europe Limited

SEGA Europe Limited is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA CORPORATION, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. SEGA wholly owns the video game development studios Two Point Studios, Creative Assembly, Amplitude Studios, Sports Interactive and HARDlight. SEGA Europe’s website is located at www.sega.co.uk