Revealed: Meghan's popularity with the British public remains unchanged, with ... trends now
Meghan Markle's popularity with the British public remains unchanged, with just 25 per cent having a positive view of the Duchess, a survey has revealed.
The survey, conducted for The Mail on Sunday, showed Meghan was the only member of the Royal Family whose approval ratings did not rise since the King's Coronation last May.
Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales enjoyed the largest boost, with a jump of 10 per cent taking her to 69 per cent.
Catherine has stepped away from the public eye since being admitted to hospital in January for major abdominal surgery, before discovering she had cancer.
The princess has since undergone chemotherapy treatment and has continued to step away from public duties as she focuses on her recovery.
Meghan Markle's popularity with the British public remains unchanged, with just 25 per cent having a positive view of the Duchess
The Prince and Princess of Wales proved to be the joint most popular members of the Royal Family
The majority of the public believe the palace has shared enough information about Catherine's health - after speculation about the cause of her absence circulated on social media before she revealed she had cancer.
Catherine and William, the Prince of Wales, proved to be the joint most popular members of the Royal Family, with 69 per cent approval ratings.
Meanwhile, Harry came third to last and Meghan was second from the bottom, only proving more popular than Prince Andrew, with an approval rating of 12 per cent. Harry's approval is now at 31 per cent, while Meghan stayed put at 25 per cent.
The poll of 2,116 adults was conducted by Ipsos for the Mail on Sunday.
The majority of the public - 56 per cent - believe King Charles is doing a good job as monarch, compared to 49 per cent a year ago.
Like Kate, Charles also stepped away from public royal duties after he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
Charles looked overjoyed to be back on public duties at the end April for the first time since his diagnosis, smiling and waving as he arrived at a hospital in London.
His Majesty – who still has the disease and is undergoing treatment - visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre with his wife Queen Camilla, meeting patients and staff in his role as the charity's patron.
Charles is keen that his inaugural engagement since doctors gave him the all-clear to restart public events will raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis.
William and Kate proved to be the joint most popular members of the Royal Family
But while the exclusive analysis for the MoS will be welcomed at the Palace, it also hints at the challenges facing the monarchy.
Following the furore around the Princess of Wales's edited Mother's Day photo, one in three of the 2,166 British adults surveyed by Ipsos said they did not trust the accuracy of pictures released by the Royal Family – and young people were the most sceptical.
Gideon Skinner from the polling firm, told the Mail on Sunday: 'As the King returns to public duties he is greeted by a further boost in favourability ratings for himself and other core members of the Royal family.
'The question for the monarchy is whether this is a short-term improvement driven by a swell in public sympathy or whether it can be maintained – particularly among younger generations where the Royals need to focus their engagement effort.'
The survey also reveals:
Some 60 per cent of Britons believe we should keep the monarchy, with 28 per cent preferring a republic;
The Prince and Princess of Wales are the most popular members of the Royal Family with 69 per cent approval ratings, while just one in eight give their backing to Prince Andrew;
There is an age divide, with one third of young people saying it 'would be better' if the monarchy was abolished, compared with just one in six of older people;
Conservative voters are the most supportive of the Royal Family, but King Charles noticeably has strong backing across the political spectrum.
Of all those surveyed, 56 per cent said Charles was doing a good job as King, a healthy increase of seven percentage points compared with April 2023.
King Charles pictured waving on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the day of his Coronation
He has also won over voters of all stripes, with 73 per cent of Conservatives, 68 per cent of Liberal Democrats, and 49
