Princess Anne has been named the nation’s most popular royal in YouGov’s third-quarter 2026 rankings, overtaking the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Princess Royal, 76, was liked by 67 per cent of respondents and disliked by 7 per cent, giving her a net approval rating four points higher than Catherine, Princess of Wales, and 10 points above William, Prince of Wales.
Catherine was favoured by 64 per cent of those surveyed, while William received the support of 62 per cent. King Charles came fourth overall, with a popularity rating of 53 per cent.
Princess Anne leads royal popularity poll
William was the most popular royal among millennials, with 60 per cent of respondents in his age group favouring him. Catherine topped the rankings among Generation X and women, while Anne was the leading choice among men and Baby Boomers.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, was fifth overall on 47 per cent, followed by his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, on 45 per cent. Zara Tindall came seventh with a rating of 39 per cent, while Queen Camilla was eighth on 33 per cent.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, placed ninth with a favourability score of 30 per cent. Prince Harry was 10th, with 29 per cent of respondents saying they liked him.
Harry’s rating was higher than in the first quarter of the year, when he was liked by 25 per cent and disliked by 54 per cent. In the latest figures, the proportion expressing a negative view fell to 41 per cent.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was liked by 22 per cent and disliked by 49 per cent, placing her 13th in the overall rankings. Her figures were stronger in January, when 26 per cent viewed her positively and 47 per cent negatively.
Princess Eugenie was ranked 11th, followed by Lady Louise Windsor in 12th and Princess Beatrice in 14th. Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, was 18th on 11 per cent, while Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones was 19th on 10 per cent.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, did not appear in this year’s rankings as the controversy surrounding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein continues.
Anne has long been regarded as the hardest-working member of the Royal Family. Last month, she received an honorary degree from the University of Lincoln in recognition of her contribution to public life and her support for agriculture and rural communities.
During the visit, she toured the university’s Geothermal Glasshouse at its Riseholme Campus, where she was shown research into crops, technology and sustainable food production. The £2.4 million facility is powered by renewable geothermal ground-source heating.
The latest poll was released after Harry and Meghan made their first joint public appearance in Nottingham since returning to the UK from California in August. They visited charities and met members of the public during three engagements in the East Midlands.
