Britons are evenly split on Prince Charles' future as king after his estranged wife's TV interview, a poll published Wednesday showed.
When asked whether Charles should ascend to the throne, 43 percent of respondents said he should and 43 percent said he should not, according to the Harris Survey conducted for Independent Television News.The rest were undecided. The margin of error was 4 percentage points.
In the interview Monday night, Princess Diana said she thought being king might "suffocate" Charles, from whom she separated in December 1992.
The prince is adamant that he will succeed his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to the throne, but his admission last year that he had been unfaithful to Diana prompted suggestions that he act as regent until his 13-year-old son, Prince William, is old enough to reign.
In her interview, Diana also admitted she committed adultery, and she accused the royal entourage of plotting against her after her marriage broke down.
Most of the 635 people surveyed - 79 percent - said Diana was right to grant the interview, while only 14 percent were opposed.
Diana said she did not want a divorce - although she indicated that reconciliation was not likely - but would agree to one if that is what Charles wanted.
Respondents were on the side of a divorce, with 63 percent supporting it and 24 percent opposing it.