Guardian Essential poll: Australians divided on whether King Charles should be head of state

Survey respondents split 50-50 but women, older voters and Coalition supporters more likely to back new monarch, poll suggests

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Australians are divided over whether King Charles III should be the country's head of state, with the latest Guardian Essential poll suggesting a 50-50 split between those who support the new UK monarch and those who do not.

The survey of 1,075 people, taken after Queen Elizabeth II's death, gives little hope to the republican cause with fewer than half of the respondents (43%) supporting Australia becoming a republic - a figure that has barely moved over the past five years.