New Poll Reveals What Public Thinks of the Royal Family After Andrew Saga — And It's Bad News
A new survey has dealt a big blow to the Royal Family, showing a clear drop in public support across the board. The figures suggest the damage linked to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is no longer contained to him alone, but is weighing on the monarchy as a whole. The Ipsos poll, carried out between February 13 and 16, shows approval ratings have fallen since November. Fewer than one in three people think the Royal Family has handled the Mountbatten-Windsor situation well since the allegations first surfaced. Meanwhile, just 28% believe King Charles has taken adequate action.
It is not a surprise that views on Mountbatten-Windsor remain very negative. The survey found that 82% of respondents see him unfavorably, up four points from the last poll. But the impact does not stop there, GB News reported. Princess Anne experienced the steepest decline, with her popularity dropping nine percentage points. Prince William’s rating fell from 71% in November to 63% this month. Charles also saw a nine-point fall, leaving him with a 46% confidence rating.
And the major bone of contention that continues to trouble the monarchy is transparency. Only 40% of those surveyed feel the monarchy has become more transparent since Charles became king. Before his brother’s arrest on Thursday, 62% said they were aware of the Epstein files and the controversy involving Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Mandelson, while 36% said they had not been closely following developments. Ipsos surveyed 1,086 adults aged 18 to 75 over three days.
The poll lands as Mountbatten-Windsor faces a police investigation. Thames Valley Police said: “As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk." This comes after several members of the royal family were repeatedly questioned and heckled. The Prince and Princesses of Wales were asked if they knew anything about Mountbatten-Windsor and his doings during an engagement in Scotland. From amidst the crowd that had gathered to cheer them on, a man shouted, “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Have you been covering up for Andrew?”
Following that, William was also asked about Mountbatten-Windsor during his trip to Saudi Arabia. The same thing happened with Queen Camilla and Charles when they stepped out for engagements. A heckler asked Charles, "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew? Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew, Charles?" They pressed, "What do you think — should MPs be allowed to debate the royals in the House of Commons?" pointing to the obvious — public patience was indeed wearing thin.
The drop in popularity, therefore, is perhaps less surprising than it might otherwise have been.