Meghan’s popularity with British public falls to record low – poll

Some 68% of people surveyed said they had a negative view of the Duchess of Sussex.

The Duchess of Sussex’s net favourability had fallen to its lowest level, a YouGov poll indicated (Toby Melville/PA) (PA Archive)

Public opinion of the Duchess of Sussex has fallen to a record low with seven in 10 people having a negative view of her, new polling suggests.

Meghan’s net favourability among the public has fallen to -47 – the lowest it has been since YouGov began recording her favourability in 2017.

Some 68% have a negative view of her, with one in five (21%) holding a positive view, according to a YouGov survey of 2,014 people.

The polling found the Duke of Sussex’s favourability has fallen to -36, a two-point decrease from April when it was -34.

But this has improved since January, when it stood at -44.

The Princess Royal is the most popular of the royals, with her net favourability standing at +60.

Six in 10 (62%) have a positive view of the King, with his net favourability standing at +32.

This is lower than when he came to the throne in September when it stood at +48, but is an improvement on April when it stood at +26 prior to the coronation.

The Queen’s net favourability has fallen to +4, a five-point decrease on its standing of +9 in April.

This remains higher than when YouGov first began recording Camilla’s popularity in 2011, when it stood at -15.

The Prince of Wales’s net favourability has risen to +57, with polling suggesting that 75% of Britons hold a positive view of the heir to the throne.

This is a five-point increase on its standing in April before the coronation, where it stood at +52.

The Princess of Wales also saw her net favourability rise by five points following the coronation, rising to +59 from +54 in April.

YouGov said favourability of the institution of the monarchy in general has improved to +25 since before the coronation, when it stood at +19 in April.

This remains lower than when it was recorded in September, where it stood at +44.

YouGov said net favourability is calculated as the difference between the number of people saying they have a positive view and the number of people saying they have a negative view.

In Meghan’s case, 68% have said they have a negative view of her and 21% have said they have a positive view of her, with 11% answering “don’t know”.

This results in a net favourability score of -47.