London, Nov. 14 : A YouGov poll has found that Britain''s Prince Charles, the current heir apparent, would be amore popular king than his son Prince William.

According to The Telegraph, the YouGov poll found 42 per cent of people were in favour of him succeeding Queen Elizabeth II, compared to 35 per cent who thought the title should skip a generation and go to his eldest son Prince William.

When the same question was asked in 2005, only 31 per cent backed Prince Charles, while 42 per cent preferred Prince William.

Over the years there have been suggestions the Prince of Wales should renounce his claim to the throne, with many arguing that the fact he is divorced and remarried would be in conflict with the monarch''s role as head of the church.

The Prince of Wales was just three when his mother became Queen, making him, as her eldest son, heir to the throne. The Queen, now 82, is the oldest reigning monarch in the history of the nation and is still in good health. Her mother lived to be 101.

Only George IV, who became king in 1820, and Edward VII, who reigned from 1901, were kings-in-waiting for longer, spending 58 and 59 years respectively as heirs to the throne.

Charles is to be known as the Defender of Faith to reflect the country’s multicultural society.

According to The Telegraph,, this move by Charles, who turns 60 today, would mean the monarch, as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, would no longer be known as Defender of the Faith for the first time since the reign of Henry VIII.

The Prince caused controversy within the Anglican church when he floated the idea several years ago of becoming Defender of the Faiths in an attempt to embrace the other religions in Britain.

In a compromise he has now opted for Defender of Faith, which he hopes will unite the different strands of society, and their beliefs, at his coronation.

However, there would be huge obstacles to overcome before the Prince can fulfill his wish, which he has discussed with some of his closest advisers.

It would require Parliament to agree to amend the 1953 Royal Titles Act that came into law after changes were made for the Queen''s coronation in the same year.

A senior source told The Daily Telegraph: "There have been lots of discussions. He would like to be known as the Defender of Faith which is a subtle but hugely symbolic shift."

The Monarch has been known by the title Defender of the Faith ever since the Pope bestowed the title on Henry VIII in 1521 for his early support for Roman Catholicism.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "There has been work done on the accession planning as you would expect. However, there has been no planning of the coronation or its contents."

Sir Stephen Lamport, his former Private Secretary, who was a senior civil servant, has advised the Prince on the accession.

Vernon Bogdanor, the constitutionalist who is Professor of Government at Oxford University, said: “The Prince has said that he wants to be seen as a defender of all religious faiths and not just the Anglican church but the Coronation is an Anglican ceremony. Any change would require legislation." (ANI)