Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have seen their popularity hit a new low among Brits after the release of their docuseries and memoir projects, which contained a number of royal bombshells, new poll data for the first quarter of 2023 has revealed.
The duke and duchess have seen their popularity decline in the U.K. since the broadcast of their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. It has also been impacted by each subsequent major media appearance.
According to new data for 2023 compiled by YouGov, Meghan is now liked by just 23 percent of Brits and disliked by 50 percent, giving her a net positivity rating of -27. As of the first quarter, Harry is liked by 29 percent of Brits and disliked by 51 percent, giving him a net positivity rating of -22.
In terms of popularity, both have seen a decline from the last quarter of 2022, when Harry was liked by 40 percent of YouGov respondents and Meghan by 29 percent.
Set against other members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan are joined in the negative net figures only by Prince Andrew, whose net positivity rating came in at -60. The royal stepped down from his public roles amid criticism over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual misconduct by former Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre in 2021.
The data tells a brighter story for the rest of the royals, who sit comfortably in positive approval figures. Kate Middleton received a net positivity rating of +57, being liked by 65 percent of YouGov's polling participants and disliked by just 8 percent.
She ranks above her husband, Prince William, who though equally liked by 65 percent, was disliked by 17 percent, giving him a net positivity rating of +48.
Though firmly in the positive numbers, William and Kate haven't escaped the bombshell ridden past few months unscathed. Their numbers have taken a small hit, with Kate being liked at the end of 2022's fourth quarter by 68 percent of YouGov respondents, 3 percentage points more than in 2023.
William was liked by 67 percent of respondents in the fourth quarter, seeing a two percentage point drop.
The new data also shows that King Charles and Queen Camilla are similarly in positive figures. They registered +38 and +9 net positivity ratings, respectively.
Harry and Meghan's drop in popularity comes after they increased their public presence at the end of 2022, releasing their six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
The series charted the couple's love story and their dramatic exit from the royal family in 2020 before moving with their young family to California.
The show was a hit on Netflix, topping the global top 10 chart for a number of weeks, but it also opened the couple up to a wave of criticisms from their interpretation of events, to allegations of overdramatizing the show by including footage that was unrelated to them.
In January, the couple again saw their public profiles increase with the release of Harry's record-breaking memoir Spare. The book became the fastest selling non-fiction work of all time upon publication on January 10, but it brought criticism for the inclusion of deeply personal details pertaining to other members of the royal family, and for repeating the contents of private conversations.
After Spare, the couple saw themselves feature as the punchline for a number of high-profile comedians and spoof comedy shows at a volume they hadn't previously experienced.
In February 2023, Harry and Meghan were both roasted by the adult animated comedy show South Park, which appeared to mock the perceived idea that the couple stepped down from their roles as working royals to seek a more private life.
The couple could make a return to Britain next month if they choose to attend the coronation of King Charles III in London on May 6.
A spokesperson for the couple confirmed in March that they had received "email correspondence" about the king's big day, but they will not confirm whether they are attending until closer to the time.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
