A royal historian has called people who support New Zealand remaining with the British Monarchy when Prince Charles takes the throne "culturally and intellectually lazy".
In the latest Newshub Reid Research poll, people were asked: "When Queen Elizabeth is no longer Queen, should New Zealand break away from the Commonwealth and become a republic?"
The results showed that 48 percent said no - they're not ready to wave a royal goodbye to the Crown, while 36.4 percent said yes it's time to break away and 15.6 percent don't know.
Royal historian Jock Phillips told Three's new morning show AM on Tuesday that he was "surprised and disappointed" by the results.
"I guess it's a cultural lag, its people who are used to the royalty and royalty has become a media experience as much as anything and there are not a lot of alternatives put up," Phillips said.
Phillips told AM that the 48 percent who wanted to remain part of the British Monarchy are "culturally and intellectually lazy".
For New Zealand to leave the British Monarchy and become a Republic, a referendum has to be initiated by a Government.
Currently, it costs about $1 per person per year in New Zealand to be part of the British Monarchy, which equals out to between $4-5 million over a year.
Phillips doesn't believe money is a reason to become a Republic but said Kiwis should look at what it says about New Zealand culture if we stay with the monarchy.
"I don't think anyone should get rid of the Royal Family because of cost," he said.
"We should get rid of the Royal Family because it's no longer central to New Zealand life and no longer accurately represents the kind of people and the kind of the culture we have become and that really is the argument.
"You obviously have to pay for the Government of the country and public rituals such as openings of Parliaments and opening of schools, so money isn't the issue. The issue is what it says about New Zealand culture and this country."
Phillips told AM that New Zealand is a very different country than it was 70-years ago when Queen Elizabeth took the throne.
"I don't think people have come to realization that what a different society we are than what we were when the Queen took office 70 years ago," Phillips said.
"Seventy years ago we just fought a war with Britain, most of our population was British by background and most of our trade was with Britain.
"Now our trade with Britain is under two percent, we have a much more diverse population and we are a much more mature population-based in the Pacific with close trading relationships with Asia. It has become an anachronism."
