Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have suffered a fresh popularity blow after a new YouGov poll put Prince Harry ahead of them.
The survey, carried out from July 21 to July 22 among 2,063 adults, found that 33% of respondents had a positive view of Harry. Beatrice scored 30%, while Eugenie was just behind on 29%.
The Express noted that the result comes after controversy around the sisters’ parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie popularity shown in poll
The shift is striking because Harry was still viewed negatively by far more people.
According to the poll, 58% of respondents had a negative view of Harry. By comparison, 34% had a negative view of Beatrice, with the same figure recorded for Eugenie.
However, the “don’t know” column appears to have made the difference. YouGov found 36% of those surveyed did not know how they felt about Beatrice, while 37% said the same for Eugenie. Only 9% gave that answer for Harry.
On the popularity ranking cited in the report, Harry therefore sat above both of his cousins. The Express said this was not the case in previous polls.
Harry stepped back from royal life in 2020 and has criticised the royal family since then. The report suggested his recent UK visit may have helped his standing, while Beatrice and Eugenie may have been affected by the fallout around their parents. The polling figures themselves do not identify one clear cause.
Meghan Markle and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ranked lower
Despite the setback, Beatrice and Eugenie were not at the bottom of the list.
Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle was below both sisters on positive ratings, with 22% of respondents saying they had a positive view of her.
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The lowest figure cited in the report belonged to Beatrice and Eugenie’s father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Just 2% of those surveyed had a positive view of him, while 92% had a negative opinion.
So while Beatrice and Eugenie have taken a hit in the latest poll, the numbers show a more complicated picture than simple dislike. Their negative ratings were far lower than Harry’s, but a large share of respondents were unsure about them, enough to leave their cousin ahead.
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