The UK's Most Popular Royals Are Revealed (And It's Awkward For William & Kate)

Who is the most popular member of the royal family? While plenty of folks might be inclined to guess Catherine, Princess of Wales, this is no longer the case. A new poll has revealed how favorably members of the royal family are viewed by the public. And, the results might create some awkwardness at home for the Waleses.

YouGov's new poll aimed to hone in on how U.K. residents feel about their monarchy and the people at its helm. The most popular member of the royal family has the support of 74% of those polled. So, who is it that earned the coveted number one spot? That would be the heir to the throne, himself, William, Prince of Wales. Kate is in second place with 71% of folks viewing her in a positive light. 

It's really no surprise that the Waleses are topping the list, and this is certainly good news for the monarchy, considering they'll likely be the king and queen consort one day. Yet, while it's no surprise that the couple is highly favorable, it may be surprising to some that William came out ahead of his wife; they may even be a bit surprised about the news, themselves.

Kate Middleton may not be pleased to hear that the British public prefers her husband to her. Yet, there is news in this poll that is almost sure to put a smile on her face: she came out way, way ahead of her estranged sister-in-law. While 71% of those polled are fans of Kate, only 20% have a positive view of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. A whopping 67% said they had a negative view of Meghan, while 14% were unsure. Prince Andrew, Duke of York was the only royal family member included in the poll whose favorability ranked lower than Meghan's at just 5%. And, considering the details of Andrew's sex abuse scandal and controversial friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, most people surely would have expected him to come in last place in a poll like this one.

Based on the well-known feud between Kate and Meghan and the frequent rumors of jealousy between the pair, Kate is likely thrilled to be miles ahead of Meghan in popularity among folks in Britain. By the same token, Meghan is likely not too happy about it. She also finds herself in a similar position to Kate, in that Harry ranked slightly above her in popularity, with 28% of folks thinking positively of him and 62% thinking negatively.

Kate Middleton has been beloved by the public since she joined the royal family, and her popularity has grown over time. In February, she was in the first place spot ahead of her husband. Now, however, things have officially changed. In 2024, Kate's continued absence from the public eye caused concern and an onslaught of rumors before she revealed that she had been undergoing cancer treatment. It's possible that the public seeing less of Kate since then allowed William to pull ahead of her in popularity. Alternatively, William's behavior during that difficult time for their family may have endeared the public to him.

Regardless of what exactly made William the most beloved member of the royal family, his popularity is certainly being looked at as a positive thing by the rest of the monarchy. That doesn't mean, however, that this poll is all good news for the royals. While William is the next in line for the throne, King Charles III is the one currently wearing the crown, and his ranking leaves a bit to be desired. 59% of those polled have a positive view of Charles, while 31% have a negative view. "The institution of the monarchy in general" was also included in the poll, and it ranked slightly lower than Charles, with 58% favorability. So, perhaps a future with William as king will help the royal family's popularity grow.