Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has lost her title as Britain’s “most popular royal” in an unexpected development.
The beloved royal, who wed Prince William back in 2011, has seen her popularity soar over the years, and she continued to touch hearts throughout her “rollercoaster” cancer battle, despite largely disappearing from the public eye.
In April 2024, Kate was declared the most well-thought-of royal by a YouGov survey, with 76 per cent having a positive view of her.
But now fresh data from YouGov has revealed that William has usurped his wife to become the UK’s most well-regarded royal, with 74 per cent of the public declaring him their favourite.
Kate came second, with 71 per cent of people perceiving her positively. Both had very low negative ratings: Just 17 per cent of people disapproved of William, and 14 per cent, Kate.
However, two other royal family members had disapproval ratings that were sky high.
A whopping 62 per cent of respondents disapproved of Prince Harry. His wife, Meghan, scored even worse, with a disapproval rating of 67 per cent.
This gives the Duchess of Sussex the dubious accolade of having the joint-lowest rating on record.
Princess Anne placed third in the list of most-popular royals, a position she has maintained for some time.
William has become increasingly comfortable in public-facing roles, displaying uncharacteristic candour and vulnerability in more recent times.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in June 2025, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said William’s reputation was hugely important, given that the royals were now operating in an “unpredictable era”.
“As heir to the throne, Prince William will inherit a role which he could be called upon to fill at any time,” he said.
“He has already established a reputation for diplomacy as the monarchy, both in the era of Queen Elizabeth and especially more recently in the unpredictable era of Donald Trump, is pivotal in Britain’s use of soft power.
“William also wants to change things and modernise aspects of the monarchy, whilst maintaining relevant traditions which are valuable, such as the Opening of Parliament and Trooping the Colour,” the expert continued.
“William’s more relaxed public appearances have delighted onlookers. His support of his beloved Aston Villa has led to numerous public appearances where his natural enthusiasm is on show.”
