Princess Anne has taken the top spot as Britain’s most popular royal, moving ahead of the Prince and Princess of Wales in the latest public opinion rankings.
The Princess Royal, 76, led YouGov’s third-quarter 2026 survey, in which respondents rated their favourite members of the British Royal Family.
Anne was viewed favourably by 67 per cent of those surveyed, while 7 per cent expressed a negative opinion. Her resulting net approval rating was four points above Kate’s and 10 points higher than William’s.
The Waleses have traditionally dominated the poll, but Kate recorded a 64 per cent popularity rating this time, followed by William on 62 per cent. King Charles secured the support of 53 per cent of respondents.
William was nevertheless the most popular royal among millennials, his own age group, with 60 per cent backing the future King. Kate led among Generation X respondents and women, while Anne ranked first with men and Baby Boomers.
Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, placed fifth overall with a popularity rating of 47 per cent. His wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, followed closely on 45 per cent.
Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, ranked seventh, ahead of Queen Camilla. The Duke of Kent came ninth with a favourability rating of 30 per cent.
Prince Harry’s standing edged upwards after his return to the UK from California in August, while Meghan’s rating fell compared with the results recorded by YouGov in January.
Princess Anne has become the nation’s most popular royal, earning a 67 per cent favourability rating in YouGov’s latest survey
Harry finished 10th, with 29 per cent of respondents viewing him positively. That put him ahead of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who ranked 14th and 11th respectively. His younger cousin, Lady Louise Windsor, was voted the 12th most popular royal.
The Duke of Sussex had recorded 25 per cent positive and 54 per cent negative ratings in the first quarter. Following his return to Britain, those figures shifted to 29 per cent positive and 41 per cent negative, marking a significant improvement.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was viewed favourably by 22 per cent of respondents and negatively by 78 per cent. Her first-quarter figures had been stronger, with 26 per cent expressing a positive view and 47 per cent a negative one, resulting in a net approval rating of minus 21.
Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, ranked 18th, with 11 per cent of the public viewing her favourably. Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones came 19th with a favourability score of just 10 per cent.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly the Duke of York, did not feature in this year’s rankings as scrutiny continues over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Anne has long been regarded as the hardest-working member of the Firm. Her sharp wit and lively sense of humour have also made her a popular figure, qualities she was often said to share with her late father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Last month, the Princess Royal was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Lincoln in recognition of her contribution to public life and her support for agriculture and rural communities.
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During a visit to the Geothermal Glasshouse at the university’s Riseholme Campus, Anne saw how researchers are using the £2.4 million facility, which is powered by renewable geothermal ground-source heating.
The glasshouse is designed to help university researchers and businesses develop new crops, technologies and growing systems, while supporting more efficient and sustainable food production.
Kate and William usually lead the royal popularity rankings, but the Princess Royal moved ahead of them this time after Kate recorded 64 per cent and William 62 per cent
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex saw their popularity figures shift after returning to the UK from California in August, with the poll covering July, August and September; the findings followed their first joint public appearance in Nottingham on Thursday (pictured)
Sporting a stylish pair of sunglasses, The Princess Royal was gifted a basket of strawberries as she learnt about the skills of strawberry pickers and the technology used to create 3D models of strawberry plants.
Professor Neal Juster, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, described Anne’s visit as an ‘honour’ – adding that the University were ‘particularly pleased to recognise Her Royal Highness’s extraordinary record of public service’,
Harry and Meghan’s changing poll results come as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first joint public appearance in Nottingham since returning to the UK.
On Thursday, the Duchess of Sussex told the crowd that ‘it’s great to be back’ as she was handed bouquets of flowers and balloons, while her husband placed a protective arm around her as they posed for selfies.
The couple are supporting a number of charities, including a community food project established in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and a recording studio where Meghan will take part in an acting workshop.
Around 100 people, including a large number of schoolchildren, gathered to greet them as they began three quasi-royal engagements in the East Midlands on Thursday.
Meghan and Harry excitedly chatted to well-wishers during a royal-style walkabout, their first official public appearance together in the UK since the Queen’s funeral in 2022.
They were greeted with cheers, whoops and shouts of ‘I love you, Meghan’ as they stepped out of their black Range Rover Sport 4×4.
The couple also posed for selfies with well-wishers, with Harry putting a protective arm around his wife on several occasions. At one point, Meghan appeared to show someone in the crowd her jewellery.
One fan, who did not want to give her name, said: ‘I love the Royal Family. I was going to come shopping in town, so I thought I would come and try to see them.
‘I want Harry and Meghan to know we still love them. I’m so glad all these people have turned up.’
