Princess Anne Wins Coveted Title Amid Prince Harry Drama
The British public has passionate opinions about the members of the royal family. It's no secret how they feel about Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who has faced a slew of backlash following his exit from his royal duties and the release of his explosive memoir "Spare." Royal experts have speculated that with these two issues, paired with the bombshell documentary series "Harry & Meghan," Prince Harry won't be welcomed back into the United Kingdom with open arms (via Express UK).
A new survey conducted by YouGov has found that Harry has sunk even lower in popularity. Those surveyed were especially impacted by the publishing of "Spare," which they felt was a money grab. He is officially Britain's most disliked royal, at least when it comes to the older demographic. And while Harry has struggled in popularity following the backlash, Princess Anne has risen to the top. The British public can't seem to get enough of her, and she has won a coveted title throughout the drama surrounding her royal nephew.
Princess Anne has avoided the drama
Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, has become the most beloved member of the royal family in the eyes of the British public. In a survey conducted by YouGov, the British public responded with praise for the least problematic member of the family.
Out of the members of the public surveyed, an impressive 72% view Anne in a favorable light. She has taken over the spots once held by William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who have fallen in popularity, though still hold high numbers at 70% and 68% respectively. However, since Anne was disliked by fewer people overall, she was given the clear title of Britain's most popular royal.
Princess Anne, who has always been active in her royal duties, has stepped up even more following the passing of her mother (per The New York Times). She serves as a valuable and trusted advisor to King Charles III. Her ability to stay out of drama while working closely within the palace has earned her a special place in the hearts of the British public.
She has won over the public by staying busy
Princess Anne won over the hearts of the British public by working hard. According to historian Edward Owens, who has detailed the lives of the royal family throughout his career, she is passionate about her royal duties. "Growing up when she did, Anne appreciated that the monarchy could only survive if it could justify its existence," Owens told The New York Times. "She's always recognized that the family can only enjoy the privileges of royal life if they work hard."
And work hard she does. She attended a whopping 214 royal engagements in 2022, landing her the title of the hardest-working royal yet again (via People). Although King Charles III was able to snag the honor of being the royal family's hardest-working member in 2019 and 2020, a majority of the previous years' titles were given to Anne. As both the most popular and hardest working member of the family, it's no surprise that she was seen attending a royal event shortly after the survey results were announced (per Express UK).
Anne was visiting a British military community in Cyprus under the Peacekeeping Force where she attended the opening of the Queen Berengaria School, a special learning environment for British military families living in Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolaos, Cyprus. The British Forces Cyprus took to Twitter to share how overjoyed they were to have Britain's most popular and hardest-working royal as a visitor. Writing that having Anne there was "a great honor for everyone here in BFC."