King Charles' popularity sinks to lowest level of reign amid Harry and Meghan return

King Charles' popularity sinks to lowest level of reign amid Harry and Meghan return While a new poll shows nearly six in 10 Brits still view the King positively, his popularity has slumped to the lowest of his four-year reign so far The King’s popularity has slipped to the lowest level of his reign so far, according to a new poll. It has revealed that while nearly six in 10 Brits (58%) view him positively, it is the lowest approval rating since he ascended to the throne following the death of his mother in September 2022. The figure is down four points since July, while the 34% who view him in a negative light is also the highest yet recorded. The results of the latest YouGov royal poll come amid Charles being on a high stakes Caribbean tour, where he is currently visiting Guyana. The first leg of his trip saw him in The Bahamas, where there had been calls for him to formally apologise for slavery however, Buckingham Palace aides hailed the visit there, where he danced in a street party a “diplomatic success”. Meanwhile, the poll suggests that at home his popularity may have been affected by his handling of his estranged son Prince Harry ’s return to the UK with wife Meghan in August as well as the scandal that has engulfed his younger brother disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The poll results also come a month after the release of Princess Diana ’s brother Earl Spencer’s book about his sister, which sparked a war of words between him and the Palace. In the memoir, called Swan Song, the Earl alleged the King said “we’ll forget her soon enough” in the wake of Diana’s untimely death in August 1997. The controversial memoir, released ahead of the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death next year, made headlines around the world for its string of allegations against the King. It also alleges Charles, then the Prince of Wales, “sounded giddily elated – like a lottery winner” when he spoke to the earl after the princess’s death. However, the Palace hit back in an unprecedented statement saying “fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory”. When it comes to the most popular members of the Royal Family, Prince William comes out on top with 74% of Brits having a positive opinion of him, while his wife, the Princess of Wales, is seen positively by 72% of the public - numbers that have barely moved in years. Close behind them is Princess Anne, often called the hardest-working royal on 68 per cent, while the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, also considered safe pairs of royal hands, have just over half of the public warm to them, with very few hostile. However, the poll shows the public seems split when it comes to Queen Camilla, with 42% positive against 45% negative.When it comes to the Sussexes, their move back to the UK has not seen their popularity rise, with just 29% of Brits viewing Harry positively, down four points since the summer, while 60% see him unfavourably. Meghan fares worse still, with only one in five Britons liking her, while 68% do not, leaving her with a net rating of -48, the lowest the tracker has ever recorded for her. Only Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sits lower, with 4% viewing him positively and 89% negatively. Overall, an unchanged 64% of Brits want to keep the monarchy, against 25% who would prefer an elected head of state. Most people (52%) think it is good value for money, and far more say they are proud of it (44%) than embarrassed (18%). Among the over 65s, support for the monarchy stands at a commanding 81%. Among 18 to 24 year olds it drops below half, at 46%, with a third preferring an elected head of state. Younger Britons are split almost evenly on the King, 38% positive and 39% negative, and even William and Catherine, so dominant elsewhere, win over only around half of them.