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The British public remains supportive of the Royal Family despite the criticism Prince Harry has aimed at the Firm, polling shows. A survey by YouGov found that 54 percent of Britons have a favorable view of the monarchy as an institution.
They polled 1,700 adults on January 5th and 6th – at the time, details of Harry’s new memoir were being leaked, including his allegation that Prince William physically attacked him.
While Harry’s book hasn’t turned the pro-monarchy tide in the UK, the 54 percent who gave a favourable view represent a slight drop from the 60 percent who gave this answer back in November.
But YouGov’s polling shows where most Britons fall on the Harry – Royal Family debate.
The December survey found that just 26 percent of people have a favourable view of the Duke of Sussex while 64 percent gave a negative response, his lowest rating since YouGov started tracking the popularity of the royals.
In total, 24,164 votes were cast with the overwhelming majority, 93 percent (22,553 people) answering “no” against reading Harry’s book.
Find out more HERE.
Harry’s popularity in the UK has been declining since 2017, but this trend started to accelerate in January 2020.
At the time, the Sussexes had announced their intentions to leave behind royal duties.
As for other members of the Royal Family, Prince William has also seen a dip in his approval ratings, but still remains popular among the British public.
YouGov’s recent poll found that 69 percent approve of the Prince of Wales, down from 77 percent in January.
READ MORE: Kate smiles and waves at fans as they show support
Speaking to Time, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams explained why he thinks the Royal Family has enjoyed public support for so long.
He said: “In Britain, I think it’s part of our DNA. There is a dysfunctionality about the monarchy, about the way the family is forced to behave, but then, on the other hand, that makes it even more fascinating.”
In the last month, Harry has released a Netflix series, done multiple interviews, and published a book airing his grievances with the Royal Family.
He spoke about his struggles once again on Wednesday, telling American chatshow host Stephen Colbert there has been a campaign by his family to undermine the book.
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“There is a lot in here that, you know, perhaps makes people feel uncomfortable and scared.”
The Duke also addressed criticism he has faced for revealing he killed 25 Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan.
Many military experts said this was wrong, even warning it could threaten Harry’s safety.
But Harry said the criticism was “dangerous” spin from the media.
He said: “Without a doubt, the most dangerous lie that they have told is that I somehow boasted about the number of people that I killed in Afghanistan.
“I should say, if I heard anyone boasting about that kind of thing, I would be angry. But it’s a lie. My words are not dangerous, but the spin of my words are very dangerous.
“My whole goal, my attempt with sharing that detail, is to reduce the number of suicides.”
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