Thousands of tourists watched in mild amusement as about 150 anti-royalists protested in front of Buckingham Palace in London on Saturday (May 9) to demand an elected head of state instead of the monarch, King Charles III.

Marching behind a giant dinosaur and a banner saying ‘abolish the monarchy’ the protesters marched down the Mall towards the Palace, the official residence of the king.

They then posed for pictures in front of the palace chanting anti-royal slogans and interrupting a concert by the Foot Guards, who stood silently for a quarter of an hour before the protesters moved on.

Public support for the monarchy remains the majority view. A YouGov tracker poll in January put support for the institution at 64%. But organisers of Saturday’s demonstration point to their own polls that say it is lower than that.

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following revelations of his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has deepened the reputational crisis facing Britain's royal family.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. GROUP OF APPROX 150 ANTI-ROYAL PROTESTERS MARCHING DOWN MALL TOWARDS BUCKINGHAM PALACE

2. BANNERS READING (English): "NOT MY KING, DEMOCRACY NOT MONARCHY, DOWN WITH THE CROWN"

3. DINOSAUR LEADING PROTEST HEADING TOWARDS BUCKINGHAM PALACE

4. BANNERS / UNION FLAG ON TOP OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE

5. PROTESTERS LINED UP IN FRONT OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE

6. CROWDS LOOKING ON

7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PROTESTER ANGELA HOGAN SAYING:

“The bottom line for me is that anyone who holds power should hold it by merit and not because of their birth. So that’s just a simple reason."

8. PROTEST INTERRUPTING MUSIC BEING PLAYED BY FOOT GUARDS AT PALACE

9. VARIOUS FOOT GUARDS STANDING BY

10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PROTESTER BRIAN WOOLNOUGH SAYING:

“From little acorns, really. I think that we must come out and spread the message because fundamentally this is about democracy and having a head of state purely by accident of birth is undemocratic. So that’s why we want a republic. Because effectively I would like, and many of my republican colleagues would like, an elected head of state. And not only that, a head of state elected by the people."

11. POLICE LOOKING ON/BUCKINGHAM PALACE

12. TOURISTS TAKING PICTURES

13. (SOUNDBITE)(English) TOURIST, SEAN, SAYING: (RESPONDING TO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TAKING PART IN PROTEST)

“I saw about 50 of them, there can’t be many more. Most people are coming to see Buckingham Palace. So it just spoils it for everyone else."

14. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING (English): "ABOLISH THE MONARCHY"

15. PROTESTER CHANTING (English): "Down with the Crown"

16. PROTEST UNDER WAY