Queen Elizabeth II has topped a poll as the greatest British icon from the last 90 years, with Sir David Attenborough named as the greatest living British cultural icon, and James Bond voted the UK’s greatest fictional icon.
The survey, conducted by OnePoll to mark the 90th anniversary of the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations, asked 2,500 adults across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to vote for the top UK cultural icons and moments from the past nine decades.
Key findings from the British Council’s 90 Years of Culture survey:
- Queen Elizabeth II chosen as the greatest British icon from the last 90 years, followed by Sir David Attenborough, Diana, Princess of Wales, Winston Churchill, and Freddie Mercury.
- Sir David Attenborough named as the greatest living British cultural icon.
- James Bond voted the UK’s greatest fictional icon, followed by Harry Potter, Del Boy, and Paddington Bear.
- The foundation of the NHS voted most significant UK cultural moment from the last 90 years, followed by Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, and Live Aid Wembley.
- Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon voted best British album, with The Lord of the Rings chosen as best fiction novel written by a UK author, and Trainspotting voted best British film.
Some 41 per cent of UK adults surveyed voted for Queen Elizabeth II as the greatest cultural icon from the last 90 years, with Sir David Attenborough (40 per cent), Diana, Princess of Wales (36 per cent), Winston Churchill (29 per cent), and Freddie Mercury (23 per cent) also proving to be the most iconic Brits.
When asked about the greatest living UK icon, 48 per cent of respondents voted for Sir David Attenborough, with 20 per cent voting for Sir Elton John and 19 per cent for the Beatles’ Sir Paul McCartney, followed by Dame Judi Dench and Catherine, Princess of Wales, both with 16 per cent.
James Bond was named the UK’s greatest fictional icon from the last 90 years with 42 per cent of respondents voting for 007, followed by Harry Potter (34 per cent), Only Fools and Horses’ Del Boy (27 per cent), and Paddington Bear and Doctor Who (both 25 per cent).
Outside of the UK, Nelson Mandela was voted the world’s most important non-UK cultural icon from the last 90 years (29 per cent), followed by Elvis Presley (28 per cent) and Albert Einstein (25 per cent).
Looking at the best British albums from the last 90 years, more than a fifth of people (21 per cent) believe that Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is the best British album. Also polling highly were Beatles’ albums Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (21 per cent) and Abbey Road (20 per cent), followed by Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John (17 per cent). Back to Black by Amy Winehouse was the most popular British album among younger voters (18–24-year-olds), with 25 per cent.
The Lord of the Rings was voted the best fiction novel written by a UK author in the last 90 years (31 per cent), followed by Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (28 per cent) and George Orwell’s 1984 (25 per cent).
Trainspotting was voted as the best British film from the last nine decades (20 per cent), followed by Monty Python’s Life of Brian (18 per cent) and Love Actually (18 per cent). Men (24 per cent) were more likely than women (14 per cent) to feel that Monty Python’s Life of Brian is one of the greatest films, while women (23 per cent) were more likely than men (11 per cent) to have chosen Love Actually.
According to the poll, the most significant UK cultural moment from the last 90 years was the foundation of the NHS (42 per cent), followed by Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral (29 per cent) and Live Aid Wembley (25 per cent).
The end of World War II was voted the most significant global cultural moment from the last 90 years (35 per cent). This was followed by the first man on the moon (30 per cent) and the demolition of the Berlin wall (28 per cent). However, the launch of TikTok is one of the most significant moments for 18–24-year-olds (18 per cent), more so than the first man on the moon (12 per cent), and the invention of the World Wide Web (10 per cent).
Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council said: “Throughout our 90-year history, we have brought the work of hundreds of writers, musicians, artists and performers to the attention of audiences across the globe, from taking acting greats Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh on an Australian tour in 1948 to British artist John Akomfrah showcasing his work at this year’s Venice Biennale. The international connections we build through arts and culture transform lives, create positive change and support our vision of a more peaceful and prosperous world.”
Notes to Editor
This online survey of 2500 UK Adults aged 18 to 65 and over (1000 England, 500 Northern Ireland, 500 Scotland, 500 Wales) was commissioned by British Council and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between 18th and 25th July 2024. All participants were double-opted in to take part in research and were paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.
Please note that all the survey questions, with the exception of Q9, were multiple choice questions where respondents were asked to ‘select up to five’ from the given list. This means that if all the percentage scores were to be added together, they will total more than 100 per cent. This is because respondents were able to select more than one answer option per question.
Associated video content, results and executive summary available on request.