Spanish gov’t poll shows steep plunge in monarchy’s popularity ratings

MADRID – A government agency poll indicates the Spanish monarchy’s popularity rating has plunged to unprecedented levels.

The Center for Sociological Research said Friday that on a scale from 0 to 10, those questioned for its April survey rated the royal family at 3.68, down from 4.89 in October, 2011, the last time the question was asked.

King Juan Carlos’s ratings have plummeted since he went on a luxurious elephant hunting safari last year during Spain’s crippling financial crisis. Recently, one of his princess daughters and her husband have been named as suspects in a corruption scandal, a first for a member of the king’s immediate family.

The poll quizzed 2,482 people, and has an error margin of 2 per cent.