Only 5% of Britons See Prince Harry as a Working Royal, Poll Finds
Just 5% of Britons think of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, as a working royal, according to a YouGov poll published by HELLO! on 29 October 2026. A working royal is a family member who carries out official duties for the King. The same poll found 82% say Harry is not one, and 14% said they did not know.
The figures come from an exclusive analysis by HELLO! senior editor Jack Malvern. The poll drew on a YouGov survey of more than 2,000 people, who were asked whether they held a positive or negative opinion of each family member. YouGov turns those answers into a net score, which is the share with a positive view minus the share with a negative one.
On that measure, 29% of respondents viewed Harry positively and 60% negatively, giving him a net score of -31. HELLO! reports that his favourability has fallen six points since his return, his lowest result in four YouGov polls this year.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, fared worse. HELLO! reports that her net score is -48, lower than anyone in the survey except Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Her favourability fell five points, her worst result on YouGov's record.
YouGov's own October 2026 royal favourability tracker, published the same day, gives a similar picture. It found 20% of Britons hold a positive view of Meghan, and 68% view her critically, up three points since the summer.
The poll also tested how well people know the wider family. Prince William scored highest as a working royal, with 87% recognising him in that role. Only 15% knew that Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is a working royal. Meanwhile, 15% wrongly said Princess Beatrice is one.
Harry was once joint the most popular member of the family, level with the Prince of Wales. HELLO! notes that YouGov has tracked the favourability of individual royal family members for 15 years, which allows comparisons over time.
The couple also made a joint trip to Nottingham, where HELLO! reports that they met fans carrying flowers and balloons.
Harry and Meghan do not carry out official royal duties in the way that the working royals do. The results show how the public currently rates each of them, and how far that rating has moved.
