Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Drop in U.K. Polls After Netflix Documentary

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Prince Harry's favorability rating has dropped 13 points in the U.K., and Meghan Markle seven points, since their Netflix documentary dropped.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were already deep in negative territory before the first three episodes of Harry & Meghan hit screens on December 8.

The first trailer dropped on December 1, beginning a debate in the British media that ran up until the release date.

A YouGov survey of 1,677 British adults conducted across December 7 and 8 shows Harry was liked by 33 percent and disliked by 59, giving him a net approval rating of -26, down 13 points from November.

Meghan was liked by 25 percent and disliked by 64 percent, almost two thirds of British adults, giving her a net rating of -39, a drop of seven points since November.

Harry, Meghan at Robert F Kennedy Awards
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Ripple of Hope Gala, in New York City, where they were given an award by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights on December 6, 2022. Inset, Prince William and... Karwai Tang/WireImage/Mike Coppola/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala

And more than 80 percent of over 65-year-olds have a negative view of her, YouGov data shows.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are the most popular royals in Britain, with the Prince of Wales liked by 77 percent and disliked by 15 percent, giving him a net rating of +62.

The Princess of Wales was viewed positively by 72 percent and negatively by 15 percent, giving her a net rating of +57. Both dropped seven points since November.

Young Brits, aged 18 to 24, are more divided on William and Kate, with 31 percent viewing each negatively, compared to 49 percent who viewed William positively and 34 percent who viewed Kate positively. However, all age groups viewed them more positively than negatively.

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have also seen their U.K. popularity slide since November.

Charles' slipped from +43 to +35, a drop of eight points, while Camilla's went from +15 to +12, though Harry's dropped the most of any royal in the survey.

The poll comes ahead of the release of Part II of Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan drops on Thursday, December 15, 2022.

Harry & Meghan Part I was released by Netflix on December 8 at 8am U.K. time giving breakfast shows the chance to give a snap verdict based on early scenes.

The debate in Britain had already been in full flow since the first trailer was released on December 1, and backlash in the press included allegations stock photos had been used that did not relate to the couple themselves.

In the first three, hour-long episodes Harry revisited one of his biggest scandals, a costume party where he wore a Nazi uniform in 2005.

Meghan was also accused of disrespecting Queen Elizabeth II after she recreated a curtsy she said she performed during their first meeting.

The duchess said: "I mean, Americans will understand this, we have 'medieval times, dinner and tournament.' It was like that, I curtsied like I was..." She then performed an exaggerated curtsy with arms outstretched to either side before adding: "'Pleasure to meet you your majesty, was that okay?' It was so intense."

A new trailer for Harry & Meghan Part II was released on December 12 and showed Harry accusing someone described only as "they" of lying to protect his brother, Prince William, but refusing to tell the truth to protect him.

A subtitle then appeared on the Netflix website version which changed Harry's words to say "the British media" in place of "they" as speculation mounted that his comments were an accusation aimed at the palace.

About the writer

Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles III, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—and hosts The Royal Report podcast. Jack joined Newsweek in 2020; he previously worked at The Sun, INS News and the Harrow Times. Jack has also appeared as a royal expert on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, ITV and commentated on King Charles III's coronation for Sky News. He reported on Prince Harry and Meghan's royal wedding from inside Windsor Castle. He graduated from the University of East Anglia. Languages: English. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. You can get in touch with Jack by emailing j.royston@newsweek.com.


Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more