Meghan Markle’s Popularity Hits Record Low in New Poll — Only One Royal Is More Disliked

Meghan Markle’s popularity has plummeted to an all-time low since stepping down as a senior royal five years ago. In a recent YouGov survey, the Duchess of Sussex ranked second to last in favorability among the British public. Unsurprisingly, Prince Andrew came in last, given his infamous ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

As per YouGov, the public's perception of the Duchess is now at its worst since it started tracking data in 2017. As reported by the Daily Mail, 65% of UK adults have a negative view of Markle, while only 20% are in her favor. Favorability also varies across age groups, with 38% of 18-24-year-olds having a positive view compared to 8% of those aged 65 or over. At the time of Markle's royal exit, 55% favored her.

At present, Prince Harry also falls behind with only 27% of UK adults having a positive opinion of him. As for Prince Andrew, he holds a dismal 5% favorability rating, with 85% of the public viewing him negatively. He also ranked last in the previous year’s poll. The Duke of York had stepped back from royal duties in November 2019, a year before Harry and Markle’s exit. According to the BBC, his withdrawal followed a widely criticized interview where he addressed his ties to sex offender Epstein. Days later, the late Queen Elizabeth II allowed him to “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future” amid growing backlash. In January 2022, she formally stripped him of his royal titles.

Coming back to the YouGov poll, the Waleses scored the highest when it came to the British public’s trust in them. Prince William and Kate Middleton topped the list with 75% having a positive opinion of the Prince of Wales and 72% towards the Princess. As for monarch King Charles, 61% have a positive view of him. His sister, Princess Anne, ranked third, with a 69% favorability rating. She only has an 11% negative rating, the lowest among all royal members.

As reported by Newsweek, there's a reason why the Duchess of Sussex’s popularity has hit an all-time low. The outlet reports that her experimenting with new business ventures and flouting of her 'HRH' title brought in immense criticism. Meanwhile, Harry’s low rating is attributed to his bombshell BBC interview. As reported by The Mirror, last year, Markle was ‘not bothered’ by her similarly low YouGov ratings. The outlet claimed that she was more concerned with raising her popularity in her own country than focusing on the UK. The Sussexes are in fact more popular in the States, as their journey of breaking free of rules and protocols resonates with the American public.