Chivalry is back in fashion, survey finds

Chivalry has made a remarkable comeback, according to an online poll of over 2,000 Britons timed to appear in the same week that the period drama Upstairs Downstairs returned to our Sunday night TV screens.

The results reveal landslide public support for the sort of simple acts of chivalry – from a man opening the door for a woman to him offering his train-seat or to carry her bag – that prevailed in the age portrayed in the show or its rival, Downton Abbey, but are now believed to have been lost.

The poll found that 93 per cent of men, including 84 per cent of those aged 18 to 24, approve of a man opening a door for a woman. Women approve even more than men

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YouGov asked respondents to consider various simple acts of chivalry and then answer the following question: “For each one, assuming that the man doesn’t feel obliged to do the action described, please say generally whether you like it/think it is a good thing.”

When a man opens the door for a woman - 94 per cent approval.

When a man offers to carry a woman’s bag or suitcase if it looks heavy - 92 per cent approval

When a man offers his seat on a train or bus to a woman – even if she’s not pregnant or elderly - 80 per cent approval

When a man lets a woman go first through the door when they are both entering a room - 93 per cent approval