Steerpike
The Sussexes’ self-promotional tour is up and running: interviews with Tom Bradby and Anderson Cooper for Harry this weekend, ahead of the official release date on Tuesday. And there’s no sign of the circus slowing down any time soon, with three further books for the happy couple in the pipeline plus their Netflix commitments and the Archewell side-hustle. But is all this publicity really helping improve Harry and Meghan’s standing with the British public?
Polling by Redfield and Wilton for The Spectator shows that the couple’s popularity has slumped dramatically since the release of their six-part Netflix series last month. At the end of November, some 45 per cent of 1,500 adults surveyed said they had a ‘favourable’ or ‘very favourable’ view of Prince Harry, compared to 29 per cent who said it was ‘unfavourable’ or ‘very unfavourable.’
The inverse is now true: at the beginning of January, only 30 per cent said they had a ‘very favourable’ or ‘favourable’ view of Harry compared to 45 per cent who think the opposite. Meghan has experienced a similar decline in favourability. Less than two months ago some 36 per cent of the public had a positive view of her, compared to 38 per cent who thought negatively of her. Now, post-Netflix, those figures are down to 23 per cent and 52 per cent respectively.
That TV series was, in many respects, aimed more at an American audience than a British one. But even in the States, there are signs that the magic of the Duke and Duchess is wearing off. CNN anchor Don Lemon has called the autobiography ‘gauche’ and criticised him for ‘airing family dirty laundry.’ The Daily Caller labelled Harry’s latest interview circuit a ‘whine tour’ while columnist Leena Nasir said that Americans are ‘sick of hearing about his plight.’
Even onetime defenders of the couple seem less keen on them now. Kinsey Schofield, an American royal journalist and podcast host who had championed Harry’s book before knowing its contents, described herself as an ‘idiot’ for doing so. And the Daily Beast, which has previously shown support for Harry, said that it was ‘extraordinary’ that Harry would blame William and Kate for his decision to wear the Nazi uniform and suggested it shows that he has refused to take responsibility.
The question must surely be asked: just how low can Harry and Meghan go before all this stops?
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