The Majority Of Britain Dislikes This Royal, According To A New Poll

Public opinion of royals wax and wane depending on circumstance. But some members of the British royal family have stayed fairly consistent when it comes to approval ratings. One person who's faced continuous scrutiny from the media and royal watchers is Meghan Markle. The majority of Britain dislikes Meghan, according to a November Newsweek poll. 

Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, have done little to remain royal favorites, with their move to the U.S. and their candid interviews that break royal protocol. Newsweek found that 51% of UK adults dislike Meghan, with only 27% viewing her positively. Those numbers add up to a net approval rating of -24. The poll included data from a sample of 1,500 U.K. adults collected for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton on November 17.

For Prince Harry's part, 38% of adults in Britain view him positively and 37% negatively, giving him a net approval rating of +1. The low numbers for Harry and Meghan stand in contrast to Prince William and Kate Middleton, who have remained well in the positive. William was rated positively by 66% and negatively by 11%, resulting in a +55 approval rating. Kate, too, is hovering above the half, with 67% viewing her positively and 11% viewing her negatively, placing her a point above her husband. 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have faced consistently dropping approval ratings since making the decision to step down from their royal duties in January of 2020. In October of 2019, 55% of British adults approved of Meghan and 71% approved of Harry, according to YouGov poll results published by Newsweek. But by April 2021, YouGov polling found that three-fifths of participants had a negative view of Meghan, and nearly half disapproved of Harry, per Express. 

Despite these low numbers, public opinion of the royal family as a whole has remained high, per CheatSheet. In Newsweek's November poll, Queen Elizabeth was liked by 68% of UK adults and disliked by 10%, giving her a net approval rating of +58. Meanwhile, Prince Charles is sitting at a net score of +20, with 45% approval and 25% disapproval. Prince Andrew, who is facing a legal battle, is the only royal with an approval rating lower than Meghan's, with 68% disliking him and only 13% liking him, adding up to a total score of -45, according to YouGov data cited by Newsweek.

For their part, Harry and Meghan's drop in approval ratings began with their exit from the royal family and have worsened since their public appearances and ongoing legal battle with the British media.