Londoners rave about royals in poll to find our favourite things
It is the news that Prince William and Kate Middleton wanted to hear.
With 58 days to go until the royal wedding, Londoners have put the monarchy and cultural heritage among the things they love most about the capital.
They are ranked alongside entertainment, from art and theatre to sport and music, and the ease of access to Europe and the rest of the world as the best things about London.
Many were also positive about the cosmopolitan and multicultural nature of the city, with one respondent saying that living in London allowed "the ability to be what you want. It is a very broad-minded place".
However, others complained that their fellow Londoners were unfriendly and lacked community spirit - a view discounted in a snapshot poll of Evening Standard readers on Twitter.
There were also complaints about the tax system. The online survey of 1,000 people was carried out last month by ComRes for property developer Berkeley Group to promote its philanthropic fund, which will be launched tomorrow by Boris Johnson at a black-tie event in Horse Guards Parade.
The Berkeley Foundation will donate 60 per cent of its proceeds to the Mayor's Fund for London, to help the capital's needy, with the remainder split among charities such as Shelter and selected British Olympic and paralympic athletes.
Respondents were asked to score different aspects of London life on a scale of one (very poor) to 10 (outstanding) to develop a detailed "appreciation index" of the city.
The royal family, the Thames and the 2012 Olympics were listed among the city's unique attributes, alongside its diversity and vast amount of things to see and do. These all scored above eight out of 10.
ComRes said many Londoners marked entertainment and cultural heritage as "outstanding", with 64 per cent and 61 per cent respectively giving them scores of nine or 10.
Tony Pidgley, chairman of Berkeley Group, said: "London is a fabulous place to live and work and it is fascinating to discover how much Londoners value the vast array of culture and entertainment on offer, the city's heritage and our leading position as a global business hub."
Mr Johnson said: "I applaud the Berkeley Group for embracing the spirit of philanthropy and investing in our disadvantaged young Londoners. While we live in a truly divine city ripe with wealth and opportunity, not everyone shares these benefits equally."
Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, which jointly commissioned the research, said: "This survey reminds us that at a time when I hope cynicism is going out of fashion, there is a huge amount that is valued and enjoyed by Londoners every day."
