Kate Middleton No Longer UK’s Favorite Royal in New Poll — But She Wouldn't Be Complaining
Kate Middleton is widely regarded as one of the most popular and modern faces of the royal family. The Princess of Wales’s popularity among the British public surged after she announced her remission from cancer and returned to royal duties, demonstrating her strong commitment to the Firm. While Middleton remains highly respected for her work ethic, she narrowly lost to another prominent royal in YouGov’s recent poll on August 8, which showed Prince William as the most liked royal family member, with his wife in the second position.
The YouGov poll, conducted to assess public favorability toward individual royals and the monarchy as an institution, reveals some clear preferences. As reported by the Daily Express, William is now the most liked member, with 74% of Brits holding a favorable opinion of him. While Middleton may have lost out to her husband, she can still take pride in the fact that 71% of respondents view her positively. Meanwhile, the hardworking Princess Anne garnered favorable reactions from 70% of those surveyed. King Charles, on the other hand, scored slightly lower, with 59% expressing a positive opinion of the monarch. Prince Edward also earned a respectable positive score of 52%.
Unsurprisingly, Prince Andrew scored the lowest, with 87% of the public holding a negative view of him and a mere 5% viewing him favorably. Meanwhile, exiled royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also rank near the bottom, with only 28% expressing a positive opinion of the Duke of Sussex and just 20% for the Duchess of Sussex. Despite these low ratings for certain individuals, the public continues to show strong overall support for the royal family. About six in ten Britons have a favorable opinion of the family as a whole, while 58% hold a positive view of the monarchy as an institution. These favorable opinions outweigh the negative, with 30% having an unsupportive opinion of the royal family, while 32% remain skeptical about the monarchy itself.
According to HELLO!, William’s top spot in the poll comes as no surprise, given his long-standing popularity, which dates back to his youth. Last year, public perception of the Prince of Wales shifted as people saw him navigate his wife’s battle with cancer while managing royal duties and family life. The more personal and vulnerable side of the Prince likely boosted his popularity, helping him to defeat Middleton in the poll. Meanwhile, the Princess held the top spot in popularity in February 2025 and the previous year, thanks in large part to her cancer remission and public appearances alongside her husband.
Just last month, a Daily Mirror poll highlighted Middleton’s significant influence within the royal family. According to the results, an impressive 78% of respondents believe the royal family wouldn’t be as relevant as it is today without her. Out of 21,023 participants, a substantial 16,417 agreed that the Firm's survival and popularity are closely tied to Middleton’s impact and modern approach to the monarchy.