Charles’s Approval Soars to All-Time High, Meghan Markle Underwater in New Poll of Royals

New polling numbers from YouGov taking stock of Britain’s royal family underscore that King Charles III, a man whose tenure as heir to the throne was the longest in English history, is growing on his subjects ahead of the fourth anniversary of his coronation.As of last week, 68 percent of Britons think that the king is doing a good job, the highest number on record. That figure stood at 62 percent last year. In a bullish sign for the House of Windsor, the most popular royals are those in line for the throne — the Prince and Princess of Wales. They are viewed positively by, respectively, 76 and 74 percent of the public.Only 16 percent of respondents reckon that the king is doing a poor job as sovereign. Queen Camilla is more divisive, with 43 percent of respondents viewing her positively and 44 percent having a negative impression. A poll in 2022 found that the late Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer, enjoyed the support of 72 percent of the British public a quarter-century after her death.Diana’s younger son, Prince Harry, appears to be mounting something of a modest comeback. The percentage of Britons viewing him favorably cratered to 24 percent in 2023 in the wake of his break with his family, his appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s television show, and the publication of his tell-all memoir, Spare, for which he secured a $20 million advance. Now, though, 33 percent of the public sees the Duke of Sussex in a positive light. His wife, Meghan Markle, trails that figure by 10 percentage points.Nobody is less popular than the erstwhile Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He is viewed positively by two percent of Britons. The king’s brother was implicated in the activities of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, and Crown prosecutors are weighing whether to charge Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor with abuse of public office while he served as the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.In November, King Charles signed Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm stripping his brother of his princely title, titles, and the “His Royal Highness” honorific. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor was also ejected from his home at Windsor, Royal Lodge. An act of Parliament would be required to remove the former prince from his place as eighth in line to the throne.The swelling of support for King Charles comes ahead of the fourth anniversary of his accession to the throne on September 8, following the 2022 death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for 70 years and 214 days. July was an eventful month for the Windsors, as Prince Harry returned to the Sceptered Isle. The visit got off to a rocky start after the Crown withdrew an invitation for the prince to stay at the 755-room Buckingham Palace, but it concluded on a high note with a clandestine meeting at Highgrove House between the king and queen and the Sussexes.That tea summit was the first time King Charles had seen his grandchildren — Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — in four years. Not in attendance, though, were Prince William and Princess Kate, who were at the Royal Charity Polo Cup at Windsor, a two-hour drive from Highgrove House.King Charles’s popularity could also have gained a boost from what was widely seen as a successful state visit to America in April to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the former colonies. The king presided over a state dinner and delivered an address to a joint meeting of Congress.Some 64 percent of the public — roughly matching support for the king — believe that Britain should continue to have a monarchy. The YouGov poll also canvassed support for King Charles by political party. He is most popular among Conservatives, 90 percent of whom believe he is doing a good job. He is least popular with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Some 35 percent of party members polled say that he is doing a bad job.The poll was undertaken between July 21-22nd, with a sample size of 2,063 adults in Great Britain. The margin of error was not provided.

Charles’s Approval Soars to All-Time High, Meghan Markle Underwater in New Poll of Royals

Charles’s Approval Soars to All-Time High, Meghan Markle Underwater in New Poll of Royals

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