Meghan Markle Hit With Brutal New Poll as Her Hopes of a UK Comeback Face a Major Setback
Meghan Markle may have hoped that returning to Britain would give her public image a much-needed fresh start. Instead, the latest polling figures have delivered a particularly harsh verdict – and the numbers suggest winning back the British public could be far more difficult than she imagined.
A new YouGov survey has revealed that the Duchess of Sussex is now facing her lowest popularity rating since she first became Prince Harry’s partner. With just one in five Britons viewing her positively, the findings raise serious questions about whether a return to the UK could ever repair the damage to her public standing.
For Meghan, the results make uncomfortable reading.
THE NUMBERS BEHIND MEGHAN’S DECLINING POPULARITY
Before Megxit in 2020, Meghan enjoyed considerably stronger support among the British public.
A 2019 YouGov poll found that 54% of Britons had a positive opinion of her, compared with 34% who viewed her negatively. That gave her a net favourability rating of +20%.
But that goodwill deteriorated sharply after she and Prince Harry announced their decision to step away from royal life and leave the UK for North America in what became known as their ‘freedom flight’.
Now, according to YouGov’s October polling, Meghan’s standing has reached a new low.
- 20% of Britons have a positive opinion of Meghan.
- 68% view her negatively.
- Her net favourability rating stands at -48%, marking her worst result in YouGov’s recorded polling since she became Harry’s partner.
The figures represent a further three-point rise in unfavourable views since the summer.
It is a particularly difficult result for a Duchess who may have expected time away from Britain to soften public attitudes towards her.
PRINCE HARRY IS ALSO FACING A SERIOUS PUBLIC IMAGE PROBLEM
Meghan is not the only Sussex facing an uphill battle.
Prince Harry’s latest figures are hardly encouraging either. Just 29% of Britons now hold a positive opinion of the Duke of Sussex, down four points since July.
Meanwhile, 60% view him unfavourably, leaving him with a net favourability rating of -31%.
Together, the figures paint a troubling picture for the couple. Their departure from royal life may have given them greater independence, but it has done little to restore their standing with the British public.
WHERE THE SUSSEXES STAND IN THE ROYAL POPULARITY RANKINGS
The October figures also reveal how far Harry and Meghan have fallen behind other members of the Royal Family.
The current popularity rankings place:
- Prince William
- Catherine, Princess of Wales
- Princess Anne
- King Charles III
- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
- Prince Edward
- Queen Camilla
- Prince Harry
- Princess Beatrice
- Princess Eugenie
- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Meghan sits near the bottom of the table, with only Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ranking below her. Just 4% of Britons hold a positive opinion of the former Duke of York.
The contrast is difficult to ignore. While William and Catherine continue to occupy the top two positions, Harry and Meghan remain far behind.
WHY BRITAIN HAS NOT WARMED TO HARRY AND MEGHAN
The latest figures raise an obvious question: what would it take for the Sussexes to win back public support?
One explanation offered by Chris Riches is the timing of Megxit.
Harry and Meghan’s departure from the UK came shortly before the coronavirus pandemic transformed everyday life across Britain. By March 2020, the country was entering lockdown, with millions facing uncertainty, isolation and fear.
Although the couple cannot be blamed for the pandemic or its timing, their decision to establish themselves in California left some members of the British public feeling that they had walked away at a moment when national unity and reassurance were desperately needed.
There is also the continuing tension between Harry and Meghan on one side and Prince William and Catherine on the other.
The Sussexes’ public comments about the Prince and Princess of Wales, including their appearances on television chat shows and Harry’s memoir Spare, have contributed to a deeply strained relationship between the two couples.
For a public that remains strongly supportive of its future king and queen, those disputes may have made it even harder for Harry and Meghan to rebuild their reputations.
A PUBLIC APOLOGY COULD BE THE FIRST STEP – BUT WILL IT HAPPEN?
Riches argues that the Sussexes may need a significant change in approach if they genuinely want to repair their relationship with the British public.
One possible starting point would be a public apology.
That could include Harry and Meghan acknowledging the way William and Catherine were portrayed in Spare, addressing the description of Queen Camilla as a “wicked stepmother”, and offering King Charles an apology for the strain surrounding the family disputes in recent years.
Such a gesture would not automatically reverse years of negative public opinion. But, in Riches’ view, it could at least represent a meaningful attempt to rebuild bridges.
The problem is that he sees little indication that such an apology is coming.
For Meghan, the latest YouGov figures are more than an uncomfortable set of statistics. They expose just how much ground she would need to recover before any return to Britain could be considered a genuine public relations success.
And unless something changes dramatically in the Sussexes’ approach, a popularity rebound may remain a distant prospect.
