Fans Tell The List How They Really Feel About Harry And Meghan After Their PR Tour - Exclusive Survey
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been on a PR tour recently due to the publication of Harry's memoir, "Spare." Although Meghan did not join him for every stop this time around, they have done a lot of press together and found themselves in the public eye for a myriad of interviews and media appearances, such as their interview with Oprah and their documentary on Netflix.
A recent "South Park" episode parodied the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their appearances in the press. In the episode in question, titled "The Worldwide Privacy Tour," the ginger-haired Prince of Canada and his wife go on a talk show to lament about how they desperately crave privacy but just can't seem to get it. The satirization of the real Duke and Duchess in the form of the fictional Prince and Princess is heavy-handed — especially because the fictional prince also has a memoir about his past published.
The general public has always been split in their opinions on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. On March 10, 2023, we posted a survey asking our readers how they felt about Harry and Meghan after their recent PR tour. The survey received an outstanding 18,000 votes, with over half of the respondents choosing the same answer.
The positive and neutral responses
Of the 18,000 votes received, only 5% of the survey respondents thought of Harry and Meghan and answered, "I think of them more positively now." One person who voted this way said, "I love the fact that Harry and Meghan are trying to carve a life for themselves and their children. ... I respect what they are trying to do and maintain a 'family' connection to both sides of their families."
11% of the respondents voted for, "I liked them before, my opinion didn't change."
One respondent started a positive response with, "I think they are a beautiful couple." The reply that the commenter received was a sharp contrast: "If by beautiful couple you mean whinging manipulative liars ... then yes ... agreed!"
13% of the respondents did not have a strong opinion one way or another, choosing the option "I'm neutral." One commenter on the survey, perhaps adverse to the concept of a parasocial relationship, said, "I don't 'feel' anything about them. I don't know them."
The negative responses
The Duke and Duchess' PR tour did not do its intended job for all. 19% of the survey respondents voted for the option, "I think of them more negatively now." One voter said that if Harry and Meghan had "kept a low profile from the beginning I wouldn't have cared," but now, they have a strong dislike of the couple.
The winning results, coming in at a whopping 52% of the votes, was the option, "I didn't like them before, my opinion didn't change." One commenter could not resist a pun using the title of Harry's memoir. In their comment on the survey, they said, "Spare us please!!!!!!!!!!!"
A few commenters referenced the "South Park" episode parodying the couple, and one person quoted what one of the cartoon's protagonists, Kyle, said about the fictional Prince and Princess of Canada: "Will you two shut up and go away!!!!"
Such a request is unlikely. Harry and Meghan have many charitable endeavors that they will no doubt continue to support. Plus, Harry's first draft of "Spare" was twice as long as what was ultimately published, so there are probably lots more stories from the Duke to come.