Good for Prince William, bad for Harry and King Charles: What Americans think of the royals, according to a new poll

A new poll conducted in the US by YouGov poll, on behalf of The Times of London, finds that even after years living on this side of the pond, The Duke of Sussex, Harry, has an approval rating that remains below his brother’s, Prince of Wales, William the heir to the British throne.

The Prince of Wales enjoyed a favorable approval rating of approximately 63 percent among the US public, with only 10 percent expressing a negative impression of him. In contrast, his younger brother, the Duke of Sussex, Harry, trailed slightly behind, receiving a favorable rating of 56 percent. However, nearly twice as many respondents characterized their opinion of him as “negative.”

On the other side of the Atlantic in the U.K., Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, have approval rates that are a fraction of those of Kate and Prince William, as shown by the results of a YouGov poll from April 2024. The Duchess of Wales, Kate Middleton, was the royal with the most positive reception by the public, outranking her husband by three points.

The US poll into the royals found the public had a less favorable view of Kate compared to Harry.

The relationship between the royal brothers remains strained

The relationship between the brothers has been strained for years, with Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, speaking publicly about their treatment by other members of the royal family and the British press during their time in the U.K. Although millions in the US have seen their Netflix series, and read Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” detailing how his role as brother to the future King impacted and shaped him.

Harry, Meghan, and their children relocated to the US in 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. The move came with significant stress, particularly after the royal family revoked the security detail previously provided to Harry and his family. The dramatic impacts of that decision at such a critical time in recent world history, and the support the family received from industry leaders in Hollywood, were captured in the Netflix reality series ‘Harry and Meghan.’

Though the couple felt that they needed to get their story out there, the publicity has not been received well by members of the royal family, including Prince William and King Charles. In a recent interview with the BBC, Prince Harry confirmed that he was still not on speaking terms with his brother and father.

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