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. 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, who received 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 to 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.
