Four years into his reign, King Charles can still count on the goodwill of most of the country.
But the latest YouGov royal poll suggests that goodwill is starting to fray at the edges, and for Harry and Meghan the picture has gone from bad to worse. Let’s start with the King. Nearly six in ten Britons (58%) view him positively, which most politicians would bite your hand off for.
Yet that figure is down four points since July and is the lowest of his reign, while the 34% who see him negatively matches the highest yet recorded. His net rating of +24 is a new low. While this might not be terribly dramatic, it is a gentle slide all the same.
The real strength of the monarchy right now lies with the Prince and Princess of Wales. Between 72% and 74% of Britons have a positive opinion of William and Catherine, numbers that have barely moved in years. The stalwart of the institution, Princess Anne, is close behind on 68%. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who don’t particularly offer much in the way of headline grabbing duties, enjoy quiet affection too, with just over half the public warm towards them and very few hostile.
I must admit I was a little shocked at Queen Camilla ’s standing after her incredible work highlighting the plight of domestic violence victims and the charities working tirelessly to assist them. The results suggest the Queen remains more divisive, with 42% positive against 45% negative.
Then there are the Sussexes. Harry and Meghan’s move back to the UK was supposed to, in some quarters at least, mark a fresh start. The public clearly hasn’t bought it. Just 29% of Britons view Harry positively, down four points since the summer, while 60% see him unfavourably. Meghan fares worse still. Only one in five Britons likes her, while 68% do not, leaving her with a net rating of -48, the lowest the tracker has ever recorded for her.
I wrote recently that their return looked more like royal cosplay than a genuine attempt at rebuilding bridges. It seems a great many Britons agree. Charity visits with all the trappings of an official engagement, coupled with fresh briefings that they were hard done by, have done nothing to win people round. If anything, the closer they get, the less the public seems to like what it sees.
Only Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sits lower, with a scarcely believable 4% viewing him positively and 89% negatively. He remains one of the most unpopular figures in the country, and there is little sign that will ever change.
What does all this mean for the institution? On the face of it, very little. An unchanged 64% of Britons want to keep the monarchy, against 25% who would prefer an elected head of state. Most people (52%) think it is good value for money, and far more say they are proud of it (44%) than embarrassed (18%).
The warning light flashes when you look at age. Among the over 65s, support for the monarchy stands at a commanding 81%. Among 18 to 24 year olds it drops below half, at 46%, with a third preferring an elected head of state. Younger Britons are split almost evenly on the King, 38% positive and 39% negative, and even William and Catherine, so dominant elsewhere, win over only around half of them.
Interestingly, the Sussexes are the one exception. Younger people remain more negative than positive about Harry and Meghan, but they are far kinder than their grandparents, who overwhelmingly disapprove.
That generational gap is the real story here and the one William will be watching most closely. The Waleses are the monarchy’s greatest asset, but their appeal is strongest among those who are already sold. The task for the next king is winning over a generation that isn’t sure it needs one.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
