THE royal family's image gurus must be patting themselves on the back. For an opinion poll shows that the new common-touch approach adopted by the Queen -- signing a Manchester United football, visiting McDonald's and Marks and Spencer, going to a pub and so forth -- has upped the monarchy's approval rating.

But just how sincere is this malarkey? Are the royals more in touch with ordinary people and do they want to be?

If I were one of their advisers, I would not be so suited with the survey results showing public agreement with the new meet-the-people style. For two thirds of those polled still do not think the royals are any more in tune with the public.

In other words, there is a suspicion that this common touch is being done more for the worried monarchy's benefit -- that of saving its skin -- than for its subjects'.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.