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Prince Harry’s hatchet job taints the whole Royal family in the eyes of the public

The Royal family's favourability ratings have fallen since the publication of the Duke of Sussex's book - including Harry and Meghan's own approval levels - Summary Royals Poll
The Royal family's favourability ratings have fallen since the publication of the Duke of Sussex's book - including Harry and Meghan's own approval levels - Summary Royals Poll

The Royal family’s approval rating has slumped to its lowest level for 12 months following the publication of the Duke of Sussex’s memoir, Spare.

The latest Ipsos poll suggests that all senior royals have been affected by the fallout.

While the Prince of Wales remains the most popular royal, his rating has slipped by 10 percentage points to 59 per cent since December.

The Duke took particular aim at his brother in his book, describing decades of simmering resentment and rivalry.

He accused the Prince of pushing him to the floor and causing physical injuries during a row and of lunging at him after the late Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.

William is closely followed in the ratings by his aunt, the Princess Royal, and his wife, the Princess of Wales.

But both women’s popularity has dropped since December, by seven and 11 points respectively.

Overall, the Royal family’s approval rating has fallen to 47 per cent, down six points since the start of the year and the lowest figure recorded by Ipsos UK over the last 12 months.

However, the institution still has a positive net favourability rating of +21, with 26 per cent of adults unfavourable and 25 per cent neither favourable nor unfavourable.

This time last year, the family’s rating was +29, rising to +37 in September after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not immune from the plunge in public opinion following the book’s release. They remain the least popular members of the family, aside from the Duke of York.

Prince Harry saw a steady fall in his ratings after his grandmother’s funeral, and again immediately after the publication of Spare.

His favourability rating currently stands at 23 per cent, compared with 30 per cent in December and 41 per cent in September.

The Duchess’s popularity has similarly dipped but remains stable at 21 per cent, compared with 24 per cent in December and 32 per cent in September.

Meanwhile, just over half of the British public believes that the King will do a good job as monarch, while a similar number is confident he will modernise.

Middle-aged and older people retain the most positive views about the Royal family, with 47 per cent of 35 to 54-year-olds and 59 per cent of 55 to 75-year-olds reporting a favourable opinion.

Younger people are more split, with 33 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 giving them a favourable rating and 31 per cent per cent remaining neutral.

Kelly Beaver, chief executive Ipsos UK and Ireland, said: “Our latest polling shows the popularity of the Royal family and its most prominent members is still down from the levels of sympathy in the aftermath of the Queen’s funeral, while engaging young people in support for the monarchy remains a key challenge.

“However, while this does raise questions for the future, supporters of the monarchy still outnumber opponents, and half or more remain favourable towards its leading members.

“Looking ahead, the coronation of Charles III will be a moment of national celebration that could change this picture again, with the potential to lead to another rise in popularity for our new King and Royal family – future research will tell us whether this will be sustained.”