Prince Harry and Meghan less popular than Andrew among over 65s, new poll shows

Prince Andrew, Harry’s uncle, was stripped of his military titles and patronages in January

Prince Harry and Meghan are now less popular than disgraced royal Prince Andrew among over-65s after making bombshell revelations in Spare, a new poll has found.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seen polling numbers plummet after Harry used his new memoir and TV interviews to discuss the ongoing row with the Royal Family.

A fresh survey by YouGov found that 73 per cent of over-65s in Britain have a “very” negative view of Harry. Some 69 per cent had the same view of the Duchess.

This compares with 60 per cent for Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his military titles and patronages in January over allegations of sexual assault, which he denies.

Spare, Prince Harry’s book, continues to make headlines around the world following its release in the UK on Tuesday.

In the book, Prince Harry claims that he was physically assaulted by his brother and heir to the throne, Prince William.

He also writes about losing his virginity to an “older woman”, killing 25 people while serving as a soldier in Afghanistan and taking drugs such as cocaine when he was younger.

Penguin Random House, publisher of the book, announced on Wednesday that first-day sales had topped 1.4 million copies - a record pace for a non-fiction book.

Harry and Meghan now less popular than Prince William (AFP via Getty Images)

Harry has said that the motivation behind writing the book was to tell his side of the story after accusing Buckingham Palace of negative briefings against him and his wife, which it denies.

One in five people said they believed Prince Harry’s motivation but nearly twice as many (41 per cent) thought his aim was to make money.

On Thursday, King Charles made his first public engagement since Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir hit the shops.

The monarch travelled to Aberdeenshire to visit the Aboyne and Mid-Deeside Community Shed to tour its new facilities and meet local hardship support groups.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attends the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church (Getty Images)

During the King’s Scottish engagement, he was greeted by Lord Lieutenant Sandy Manson before being given a tour of the Community Shed’s ground floor.

At the home of the Aboyne Men’s Shed workshop, Charles watched craft skills in action, including wood and stone carving, and meet the men who gather there weekly.

He was also expected to meet representatives from other charities and voluntary groups, including the Inverurie-based Aberdeenshire North Foodbank, Gordon Rural Action and Young at Heart Deeside.