The Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rank ahead of religious and political figures for their moral leadership, according to respondents in a survey commissioned by The Sunday Times.

In the YouGov survey, which was conducted before the Queen's speech on Christmas Day, respondents were asked to choose three or four names from a list. About one third (34 per cent) said the Queen provided the best moral leadership for Britain.

The monarchy also took second place, with 30 per cent of respondents saying that Prince William and Kate set the moral tone.

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban and who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, came third.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, came fourth, with 15 per cent, and David Cameron was ranked fifth.

Prince Charles didn't do quite as well as other members of his family, with only 8 per cent.

Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain, came in 15^th place with just 5 per cent of people recognising his moral leadership – the same as Labour Party leader Ed Miliband.

In response to a separate question about who offered the worst moral leadership, UKIP leader Nigel Farage topped the list with 39 per cent.

Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg were joint second for the undesirable title with 26 per cent each. Miliband was close behind with 20 per cent.