A recent survey conducted by YouGov has unveiled the Royal Family members who are most favored by the public. Prince William and Princess Catherine, also known as Kate, emerged as the most beloved among Britons. Despite facing challenges in 2025 due to various controversies, the overall perception of the Royal Family, referred to as “the Firm,” has remained relatively steady.
Prince William received the highest approval rating at 77%, closely followed by Kate at 74%. Princess Anne also maintained a positive image, with 70% of the public expressing admiration for the Princess Royal. King Charles continues to enjoy popularity, with 60% of Britons viewing him favorably, compared to 31% who hold an unfavorable opinion. Similarly, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, garnered positive opinions from around half of the population.
Conversely, Prince Harry continues to face negative sentiment, with only 31% of respondents expressing a positive view towards him. Meghan Markle received her lowest approval rating to date, with just 19% of Britons having a favorable opinion of her. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor also experienced a significant drop in favorability, with only 3% of the public viewing him positively.
Overall, the monarchy maintains a mostly positive image among the British population, with nearly 60% viewing the Royal Family and the institution of the monarchy favorably. However, a consistent third of the population holds negative views towards both. A significant portion of Britons, 47%, express pride in the British monarchy, while only 19% feel embarrassed by it, and 31% remain neutral on the matter.
In 2025, the Royal Family faced a tumultuous period marked by scandals involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Following allegations and revelations related to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, King Charles took the unprecedented step of stripping Andrew of his HRH style, prince title, and dukedom. Andrew was also evicted from the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate, his residence for over two decades.
The publication of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, one of Andrew’s accusers, and the release of documents from Epstein’s estate by the US government further exacerbated the situation. Andrew’s purported email to Epstein in 2011, indicating continued contact despite claims of ending communication, raised serious concerns. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing amid the ongoing controversies.