Meghan Markle’s latest attempt to claw back favour with the British public has spectacularly backfired. Fresh polling released in the wake of the Sussexes’ low-key July 2026 UK visit shows the Duchess of Sussex stuck at a dismal 22% approval rating, with a crushing 65% of Britons viewing her unfavourably. Only the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ranks lower.
Despite flying into Britain with Prince Harry and their children Archie and Lilibet for a carefully stage-managed reunion with King Charles and Queen Camilla at a country retreat, followed by visits to Highgrove and the Spencer family seat at Althorp, the public remains firmly unmoved. Meghan’s Instagram “Summer Holiday” posts – including one showing Harry and the children carrying flowers along a tree-lined path at Althorp, widely interpreted as a visit to Princess Diana’s grave on the 25th anniversary of her death – have done nothing to soften the hostility.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond, former BBC correspondent, put it bluntly: Meghan is “perfectly aware of her extremely low popularity in the UK” and now likely “views it as a lost cause,” preferring her California sunshine life to any genuine attempt at reconciliation.
Harry’s own numbers ticked up slightly to 33% favourable after the private meeting with his father, but the bulk of the British public still holds him in low regard. Critics argue his continued defence of Meghan – despite years of damaging interviews, Netflix projects, and Archewell controversies – has only deepened the couple’s isolation from the institution he once belonged to.
The Mirror’s reader debate on whether Meghan can ever rebuild her standing has been met with near-universal scorn in the comments. Many point to a long pattern of behaviour: the Oprah interview that levelled unverified claims against the Royal Family, the relentless monetisation of royal connections, high staff turnover at their organisations, and what many see as a calculated use of Diana’s memory for personal branding. The Althorp photos in particular drew accusations of tone-deaf opportunism – turning a private family moment at a gravesite into social media content while the couple continue to criticise the very institution that made Harry a global figure.
YouGov data paints a consistent picture of decline. Meghan’s net approval has plunged to minus 43 in recent trackers, a sharp drop from earlier in 2026. While William and Catherine remain hugely popular (76% and 74%), and even King Charles enjoys solid support, the Sussexes sit near the bottom of the royal rankings.
Observers note that the couple’s California lifestyle, commercial ventures, and past public airing of private grievances have left a lasting stain. Harry’s decision to prioritise his wife’s narrative over repairing deeper family ties has left him looking weak in the eyes of many Britons who once cheered him as the people’s prince.
The message from the latest poll and public reaction is clear: no amount of curated Instagram moments or quiet palace meetings will erase years of perceived entitlement, hypocrisy, and damage. Meghan Markle remains one of the most unpopular figures linked to the Royal Family, and Prince Harry’s unwavering support for her has only cemented their status as outsiders in the country he once called home.
