How Popular Is the British Royal Family?
Britain’s royal family is an institution, one that’s been around for centuries. The mystique and allure of the princes and princesses living behind Palace walls is something that has fascinated the public for as long as anyone can remember. There have been countless books, TV specials, and documentaries about the famous family. And let’s not forget the wildly popular award-winning Netflix historical drama The Crown that premiered in 2016.
But following more than a few unfavorable headlines over the years after Prince Harry and Meghan went rogue and when Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was still known as Prince Andrew, are they still a popular institution?
The royal family’s popularity has dipped in recent years
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down and left the U.K. in 2020, no one was prepared for the verbal grenades the two fired at Harry’s relatives from afar. During a TV special with Oprah Winfrey, the pair aired out the family’s dirty laundry and made damning allegations against the monarchy. Their verbal assault continued in other interviews, a Netflix docuseries, and Harry’s memoir Spare, all which appeared to be aimed at damaging royal reputations.
But another family member made headlines for all the wrong reasons as well. There had been rumblings for years about King Charles’s brother, Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After he was accused of having sex with Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre when she was a minor, Andrew gave an interview in 2019, in which he tried to defend his past friendship with the late financier and denied ever meeting his accuser.
That interview did him more harm than good. And although he has denied all the allegations against him, his eventual settlement with Giuffre for millions led some to believe that the royal family was covering something and just wanted the story to go away.
There’s no denying that those reputational hits involving the former working royals have contributed to a dip in popularity from when the family was extremely popular decades earlier with an 86% percent favorable rating. In 2024, the British Social Attitudes survey found that just over half of U.K. respondents over the age of 18 view the family as “important.”
Who is the most popular royal today?
Despite the lower numbers the family, for the most part, is still popular today. So who is the most popular of all the royals?
The late Queen Elizabeth II held that title for a number of years. Following her death, Prince William took over the late monarch’s usual spot at the top of the list. The Prince and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) have remained quite popular with most people over the years.
A recent YouGov poll shows 74% of Britons view William and Kate favorably.
Royal insiders shared that given what the future king went through when both his father and wife were diagnosed with cancer, and having to keep things together for his young children, really “resonated” with and touched a lot of people.
“Watching William juggle concern for Catherine with the added weight of royal duties made him seem more human. His mix of vulnerability and commitment resonated strongly with people,” the sources said. “William has always been well-liked, but he’s shown a different side. With Catherine unable to take on as much, he has taken the lead, and people have connected with both his resilience and his openness.”
