Prince William, Kate Middleton lead as monarchy keeps support: poll

Prince William and Kate Middleton remain the most popular members of the British royal family, according to new polling.

A YouGov royal favourability tracker published August 8 found William leading with a 74% positive rating, followed closely by his wife, Princess Catherine at 71% and Princess Anne at 70%. King Charles is viewed positively by 59% of respondents.

The poll comes during a turbulent period for the monarchy, with ongoing public debate over the role of the royal family and scrutiny of several of its members. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020, remain unpopular, with ratings of 28% and 20% respectively.

Separately, controversy continues to surround other senior royals following the release of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which contains damaging claims about Prince Andrew and alleges tensions involving Prince Harry. 

Public opinion toward Andrew remains deeply negative, with just 5% holding a favorable view and 87% unfavorable,  figures largely unchanged since his 2019 Newsnight interview.

Despite the controversies, support for the monarchy overall remains stable. 

The poll found 62% of Britons hold a positive view of the royal family, and 65% favor maintaining the monarchy over switching to an elected head of state.