When it comes to British royals in the eyes of Americans, the numbers tell an interesting story.
Recent polling shows that Prince William and the Princess of Wales enjoy higher popularity across the U.S. compared to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Experts suggest this is because the Sussexes have leaned into celebrity culture and self-promotion, while William and Kate stick to a quieter, more traditional sense of duty.
The Poll Numbers: William and Kate Lead the Pack
A YouGov poll conducted in the United States reveals Prince William’s favorability rating stands at 63 percent, comfortably ahead of Harry’s 56 percent.
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton, known to many Americans as the Princess of Wales, has a 49 percent approval rating.
Meghan Markle, the only American in the royal family, trails behind with just 41 percent favorability, and a notably higher 25 percent of Americans viewing her unfavorably compared to Kate’s mere 6 percent negative rating.
Duty Versus Drama According to Experts
Lee Cohen, a UK-US politics expert and former policy maker, points to these numbers as evidence that Americans appreciate what he calls the “unshowy sense of duty” embodied by William and Kate.
In contrast, Cohen says Meghan and Harry “personify grievance, vanity and betrayal,” choosing to embrace celebrity status and self-pity over royal responsibility.
“Even in a country that rejected monarchy, Americans prefer the steady and humble example of the Wales family,” Cohen said.
“The Sussexes, by contrast, offer fleeting celebrity buzz and self-martyrdom disguised as liberation.”
What Americans Want From Royals
Cohen explains that in a time when institutions feel unstable, Americans yearn for symbols of continuity and dignity.
William and Kate provide that with their quiet service and loyalty, whereas Harry and Meghan’s lifestyle of commercial endorsements and public complaints has alienated some.
“Fame is not honor,” Cohen emphasized. “True nobility lies in service, not self-promotion.”
The Enduring Legacy of Diana and Queen Elizabeth
The poll also shows that the late Princess Diana remains the most beloved royal in America, with a massive 79 percent positive rating.
The late Queen Elizabeth II follows closely with 73 percent favorability.
Among living royals, William ranks highest, followed by Harry.
The Princess of Wales holds a 49 percent positive rating, and Meghan’s 41 percent trails behind all senior royals.
Despite their move to the U.S. and a high-profile BBC interview calling for family reconciliation, 61 percent of Americans say their opinion of Harry and Meghan has remained unchanged, with 17 percent viewing them more negatively.
Harry’s Name Change Controversy Revealed
Adding fuel to the royal drama, it recently emerged that Prince Harry sought advice from Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, about changing his family name from Mountbatten-Windsor to Spencer.
This would have aligned his children more closely with their mother’s family name.
Although the Earl advised against the change, the fact Harry considered it highlights the depth of the rift between him and the rest of the royal family.
A move like this would have been painful for King Charles, who deeply values the Mountbatten-Windsor name—a symbol of the royal legacy from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
The Sussexes’ Battle With Royal Identity
Names and titles remain sensitive for Harry and Meghan.
They were granted the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth on their wedding day in 2018, but Meghan has recently emphasized her surname is “Sussex,” correcting people who call her Meghan Markle, as seen in her Netflix series.
Royal author Tom Bower suggests Meghan’s true aim has been to embody Princess Diana’s legacy, with some seeing the name change attempt as a symbolic move in that direction.
What This Means for the Royal Family’s Future
All these developments — the polling, the personal family disputes, and the Sussexes’ turn to celebrity culture — underscore a deep division in how different members of the royal family connect with the public, especially abroad.
For many Americans, the quiet dignity and steady commitment of William and Kate represent the future of the monarchy, while Harry and Meghan’s path appears to be leading away from traditional royal roles, into a more controversial spotlight.