New Prince Andrew Poll Spells Fresh Trouble for King Charles and the Monarchy
A new public poll shows Britons remain unforgiving toward Prince Andrew, with his lingering scandals eroding confidence in King Charles’s reign.
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse and child sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.
If King Charles believed that maintaining silence would eventually have people forget Prince Andrew's controversial past, or that just taking away his HRH status would restore calm, a new wave of public sentiment has upended that assumption. A recent Daily Mail poll suggests that the Brits want Andrew to be reduced to a regular citizen, with his Order of the Garter stripped. With nearly 22,000 participants at the time of reporting, the poll suggests that the Duke of York’s tarnished reputation continues to cast a long shadow over the Crown’s credibility.
The numbers speak volumes. When asked whether Andrew should be stripped of his membership in the prestigious Order of the Garter, 61%, i.e., 13,465 people voted yes. Only 3% said no. Another 36%, or roughly 7,900 voters, went a step further, calling for the Duke to also lose his position as Counsellor of State. The verdict was clear: the public wants to see the disgraced Duke of York out. The results couldn’t come at a worse time for the King, as he has been accused of having an emotional soft spot for his brother and not using a tough hand on him. The Duke’s image, meanwhile, remains deeply tarnished. Now, with the upcoming release of the posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, the numbers are only expected to plummet further.
According to YouGov’s latest data, he now ranks as the least popular royal, with only 5% of UK adults holding a positive opinion and a staggering 85% viewing him negatively. He also came last in the 2024 rankings, cementing his place as the monarchy’s biggest liability. And as a result, the collective dip in popularity across the royal spectrum is feeding into a wider problem, waning faith in the institution itself. According to the latest NatCen Social Research survey, public belief in the monarchy’s importance has hit a record low. When the question was first posed in 1983, an overwhelming 86% of Britons said the monarchy was either 'very' or 'quite' important. That number has now dropped to just 51% in 2024.
Royal watchers, too, aren’t holding back their concern. Veteran royal commentator Ingrid Seward told GB News that the latest revelations have once again thrust the monarchy into uncomfortable territory. “It’s very damning,” she admitted, referring to fresh reports suggesting that Andrew’s links to Jeffrey Epstein may have run deeper than the Palace ever acknowledged. She added, “It just looks like he was in total cahoots with Epstein. And unfortunately for him and for the royal family, I don’t think this is the end of it.” Seward believes there’s more to come, much more. “That’s the trouble,” she stressed. “It’s an ongoing situation.”
If you are being subjected to sexual abuse, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)
If you are being subjected to child sexual abuse, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 800.422.4453
