After the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, the Prince of Wales’ popularity plummeted.
Since the book was published on January 10, the Prince of Wales’ ratings have fallen eight per cent, while his brother’s have fallen seven points, Ipsos Mori said.
The Princess of Wales dropped seven points and the Duchess of Sussex five points.
Prince Harry especially took the aim Prince William in the bookIt expresses decades of resentment and rivalry. He physically injured his brother in a row at Kensington Palace and pushed his brother to the floor after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.
However, the book had little effect on the reputation of the royal family as a whole, with 53 per cent saying they felt good about the royal family and 51 per cent about the king.
The Prince and Princess of Wales remain the most popular royals, rated 61 percent and 60 percent respectively. 70 percent think William would make a good king.
By comparison, Prince Harry’s approval rating is now at 23 percent, compared to 70 percent in 2018, while his disapproval is at 53 percent, up from around 10 percent in 2018.
In America, where the Sussexes are now based, the princess is the most popular royal at 47 per cent, followed by Harry at 4 per cent, William at 40 per cent and Meghan at 35 per cent.
There were both Harry (-11) and William (-13). He was struck by the publication of the book.
Kelly Beaver, chief executive of Ipsos UK and Ireland, said: “Both Prince Harry and his brother Prince William appear to have suffered from British public opinion following the release of the Duke of Sussex’s memo and the claims made in it. It shows that other members of the royal family are also feeling down.
“This information re-emphasizes the importance of showing that the monarchy can speak to the younger generations and that it can be useful.”
She added, “The Comparison with the US It’s interesting – as we might expect, Americans have less strong views of the monarchy than the British and are less certain about its benefits. But they feel more positive about Prince Harry and Meghan than the British – even though the Prince and Princess of Wales enjoy relatively favorable views there too.
But its immediate effect on public opinion should not be exaggerated—and it should be noted that after the Queen’s death there was a partial return in public sympathy.
Britons are still far more positive than negative about the king, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal, and the royal family as a whole, and attitudes towards the institution as a whole have not changed much. While the stories may have challenged public perception of the individuals involved, the monarchy has endured for now.
Ipsos interviewed 1,000 adults aged 18 to 75 in England on 10 and 11 January. America’s results are based on an Ipsos poll of 916 adults conducted between January 11 and 12.
