There are some weird things going on with the Royal Family of late. King Charles launching an Apple music podcast in which he gushes over Beyoncé? That’s one. Prince Harry getting defended by an Australian who believes he’s his long, lost brother? That’s two, but these things always happen in threes, so what’s another? How about a Sussex beating a Wales in a popularity contest?
In the U.K., it’s truth universally acknowledged that Prince William and Kate Middleton are infinitely more popular than Harry and Meghan Markle, as the Prince and Princess of Wales are the country’s future king and queen while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are the ones who apparently hated living in Britain so much they vamoosed to the States. But how does the U.S. feel about the Royals? We guessed Americans might like Harry more than Brits, but just how much more popular he is across the Atlantic may surprise you.
Prince Harry earns rare popularity win over Kate (but not William)
According to an official YouGov poll, Prince Harry is officially one of the top two most popular living members of the Royal Family with U.S. citizens. Including those that are now longer with us, he’s only in fourth place, though, as Americans still have a greater fondness for both his mother and grandma. Just don’t tell him who’s in third.
As per the poll, a hefty 76% of Americans have favorable opinions towards the late Princess Diana, with a similarly strong 67% having positive views towards the much-missed Queen Elizabeth II. Next, it seems U.S. folks have a similar opinion about the heir to the throne as their president as Prince William — who Donald Trump has repeatedly described as “very handsome” — is #3 with 58%. Harry is then not far behind with a solid 53%. That’s a huge improvement over his rating with Britons, who only give him a favorability rating of 30%.
It’s the exact opposite story for the royal in fifth place, however. Only 52% of Americans have positive opinions about Kate Middleton, which paints a wildly different picture from Kate’s public image in the U.K. Ever since her cancer diagnosis in early 2024, the princess has topped royal popularity polls — as of February 2025, 74% of Britons were big fans. It’s hard to say why Americans don’t care for her as much, but it might simply come down to a lack of exposure.
As for Meghan… Well, the good news is those in the U.S. dislike her significantly less than those in the U.K., but still probably not by as much as she would like. Harry’s spouse slots into seventh place on the U.S. popularity ranking, with a 46% score. At least that’s a lot better than how the former Suits star fares in the U.K. version, as her paltry 21% favorability score means she doesn’t even rank in the top 10. Prince Andrew is, unsurprisingly, bottom of both rankings at present, although somehow 28% of Americans still like him. Guys, just FYI, you might want to Google the phrase “Prince Andrew Jeffrey Epstein.”
Published: Mar 12, 2025 01:05 pm