Prince of Wales’s popularity plummets after the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare.
Since the publication of the book on Jan. 10, the Prince of Wales’ ratings have fallen by eight percentage points, while his brother’s have fallen by seven percentage points, according to Ipsos Mori.
The Princess of Wales has lost seven points and the Duchess of Sussex five points.
Prince Harry took particular aim at Prince William in his book, detailing decades of simmering resentment and rivalry. He accused his brother of pushing him to the ground and causing bodily harm during an argument at his home in Kensington Palace and lashing out at him after the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh.
However, the book has had little impact on the reputation of the royal family in general, with 53 percent saying they favor the royal family and 51 percent the king.
The Prince and Princess of Wales remain the most popular royals, with ratings of 61 percent and 60 percent respectively. Nearly 70 percent think William will make a good king.
In comparison, Prince Harry’s preference now stands at 23 percent, compared to nearly 70 percent in 2018. His unfavorability is 53 percent, compared to about 10 percent in 2018.
In the US, now home to the Sussexes, the princess is the most popular royal at 47 percent, Harry at 4 percent, William at 40 percent and Meghan at 35 percent.
There too, both Harry (-11) and William (-13) were touched by the publication of the book.
Kelly Beaver, CEO of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland, said: “Both Prince Harry and his brother Prince William appear to have suffered from British public opinion following the publication of the Duke of Sussex’s memoirs and the allegations therein. that other members of the royal family will also feel the consequences.
“These data also re-emphasize the need for the monarchy to demonstrate that it can speak to and be relevant to younger generations.”
She added: “The comparison with the US is interesting – as we would expect, Americans are less likely than British to have strong opinions about the monarchy and are less convinced of its benefits. But they do take a more positive view of Prince Harry and Meghan than the British – although the Prince and Princess of Wales also receive relatively favorable views there.
“But the immediate impact on public opinion should not be overstated – and it should be noted that it is partly a return of the upsurge in public sympathy following the Queen’s sad passing.
“The British are still much more positive than negative towards the King, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal, and towards the Royal Family as a whole, and attitudes towards the institution as a whole have changed little so far. While the stories may have challenged the public’s opinion of the individuals involved, the monarchy itself is holding up for now.
Ipsos interviewed 1,000 adults aged 18-75 in the UK on January 10-11. The US results come from an Ipsos survey of 916 adults conducted between January 11 and 12.
