All hail future queen Catherine. The Princess of Wales has topped the latest Ipsos poll ranking the favourability of British royal family members, with 66 per cent of Britons surveyed holding a favourable opinion of her. In what paints a brighter picture of the future of the monarchy, her husband, first-in-line Prince William, trails closely behind with a 65 per cent popularity rating.
Anne, Princess Royal comes in at third place with a 62 per cent score. Elsewhere, the UK population is relatively happy with King Charles III’s reign after he took over as monarch following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. More than half (56 per cent) believed Charles was doing a “good job” as King, while perspective on the royal family in general holds a pleasant rating, with 53 per cent of locals viewing them positively.
On the other end of the scale was Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who are two of the most unpopular members from the more than 1000 adults surveyed, who were aged between 18 and 75. The couple stepped back as working members of the royal family and moved to the US in early 2020. Meghan holds a measly 53 per cent unfavourable rating locally, while Harry sits at 46 per cent.
Despite the Duke of Sussex’s low popularity in the poll, a fair cohort of the British public want to see Harry return to royal duties, with 34 per cent in favour of a comeback, while 37 per cent are against it. The couple sit just above the least most popular member, the ousted Prince Andrew, who has a 66 per cent unfavourable rating. Catherine, who received a standing ovation when she made a rare appearance at Wimbledon in July, topping the chart is hardly surprising.
Aside from maintaining gracious silence amid a turbulent period, in which both Harry and Meghan have aired public grievances toward William and Catherine via multiple outlets, the mother-of-three was diagnosed with an undisclosed cancer earlier this year, which she announced to the world in a video posted March. The Princess of Wales confirmed earlier this month she had completed chemotherapy treatment , and was scheduled to return to royal duties following a months-long hiatus. “I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she said in a social media post.
The princess, 42, said the last nine months had been “incredibly tough” for the family, including children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. “Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,” she continued. “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.
“I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”.
