Harry and Meghan’s popularity with the British public hits record low

The Queen remains firmly at the top of the most popular royal list.

31 May 2022

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s popularity has sunk to a record low, according to a new poll.

Nearly two thirds of Britons (63%) hold a negative view of Harry and Meghan, according to the YouGov survey on the favourability of members of the royal family.

The results come as the couple, who have stepped down as working royals and moved to north America, will return to the UK this week with their two children to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Harry’s favourability score has dropped from -25 in March to -26 in May, with 58% of people thinking of him negatively versus 32% who see him in a positive light.

Meghan’s score has slumped even further from -39 to -42, with almost two in three people having a negative view of her compared to 23% who have a positive one.

Changes in attitude towards Harry have changed dramatically since 2018, when he was the most popular royal with the British public, 77% of whom held a positive opinion of him at the time.

He remains more popular among the young, with 42% of 18 to 24 year olds seeing the duke positively, compared to 33% who see him negatively.

In this age group, 38% view Meghan positively and 36% negatively.

The poll, carried out on 1,692 adults between May 18 and 19, also revealed that the Queen remains the most popular royal.

Eight in 10 Britons hold a positive opinion of the monarch, versus 12% who see her negatively – giving her a net score of +69.

The survey showed that 77% of the public think the Duke of Cambridge will do a good job as king, compared to 57% for the Prince of Wales.

William is seen as a good role model by seven in 10 Britons, while only three in 10 think the same of his brother Harry.