Harry & Meghan’s ratings DROP to lowest levels ever since Philip’s funeral as Queen remains royal favourite

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MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s popularity with Brits has dropped to the lowest levels ever – while the Queen remains our favourite royal, a new survey has found.

Following Prince Philip’s funeral, British adults were quizzed on who they like best in the family.

Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates

The Queen remains Brits’ favourite royal by some distance, a new poll has revealed

But Meghan and Harry’s popularity has dropped again

And the Duke and Duchess of Sussex achieved their lowest-ever score – even after their popularity plummeted in the wake of their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

It comes as:

  • Prince William ‘can’t tolerate’ how Meghan has treated Kate Middleton, a senior royal source claimed
  • Kate got the giggles as she and William played golf on a royal visit today
  • Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are looking for a new employee as they take on greater responsibility
  • Harry and Meghan may be ‘cut’ from the Royal Family in Prince Charles’ plan to save cash
  • And the LA-based royal couple reportedly met a streaming firm at Kensington Palace a year before Megxit – but rejected the bizarre show

During the explosive chat, the couple said a senior royal had made a racist comment about the colour of son Archie’s skin before his birth.

It was also claimed that Kate Middleton had made Meghan cry – an allegation said to have made William particularly upset.

But since the last poll, taken in the days after the Oprah interview aired, Harry’s popularity plunged another three points, YouGov says. 

Pregnant Meghan, who remained in the US on the advice of her doctor, has also seen her popularity fall by five points in the past six weeks, figures show.  

Elsewhere, both Prince Edward and Prince Charles have seen their popularity surge since March 12.

It’s a return to favour for Charles, whose approval ratings dropped eight points to 49 per cent after the Oprah interview aired.

Harry claimed he’d been cut off by his family during the interview, and said he’d been left without security after his father stopped taking his calls.

But by far the most popular royal is the Queen. Her approval rating surged from 80 per cent to 85 per cent following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death.

The couple’s approval rating plunged after their bombshell Oprah interview – but has since gone down again

Brits broadly back Kate Middleton, hailed a ‘peacemaker’ after speaking with Harry at Prince Philip’s funeral

And two-thirds of those polled – 64 per cent – want her to remain in her job for the rest of her life. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton also remain very popular, according to the latest poll, with about three quarters of Britons giving them favourable reviews.

Prince Andrew remains by far the least popular royal, with 79 per cent of Britons holding a negative view. Just ten per cent see him in a positive light, according to the poll.  

According to the data, of more than 1,700 Britons between April 21 and 22, public opinion of Prince Harry has remained largely negative.

He returned back to the UK for his grandfather’s funeral earlier this month, although was apparently “shocked” by the frosty reception he received from some members of his family.

The Duke is set to return to the UK this summer for the unveiling of a statue dedicated to his late mother.

But royal experts claim he may make an “excuse” and stay home – as it’s thought Meghan will soon give birth to the couple’s second child, a daughter.

Some 43 per cent of those polled have a positive opinion of Harry, the survey reveals, while 49 per cent regard him negatively.

Meghan’s popularity scores have also fallen slightly following a sharp decline in March.

The majority of Brits polled say they hope the Queen will never step down

Charles’ popularity has also bounced back after dipping following the Oprah interview

Andrew remains the least popular royal by some distance

Currently, less than a third – 29 per cent – of Brits quizzed have a positive opinion of the Duchess of Sussex.

More than six in ten people – 61 per cent – view her negatively.

This means she has a net popularity rating of -32, down from -27 six weeks ago. 

Elsewhere, public opinion on who should eventually succeed the Queen is split.

Around two in five people – 37 per cent – say Prince Charles should become king when she retires, while a similar number – 34 per cent – would like to see the throne go to her eldest grandson William. 

And one in six people – 17 per cent – say there should be no monarch after the Queen at all.

It comes as a royal expert claims the Queen will “fade away gracefully” from public duties as Charles and William take on more responsibility.

Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the monarch would step back from royal engagements going forward.

He told the New York Times: “Fundamentally, the Queen will fade away gracefully.

“Covid has helped in the sense that it has accelerated what any sensible 95-year-old woman would want to do, which is not stand on your feet all day long.”

But the Queen returned to work with a beaming smile today in her first photographed engagement since Philip’s funeral. 

She was seen via videolink from Windsor Castle while welcoming dignitaries to Buckingham Palace.

Charles and William are reportedly considering plans to ‘slim down’ the monarchy that could see Meghan and Harry cut altogether.

Royal biographer Angela Levin said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could be slashed altogether, with just Charles, Camilla, William, Kate Middleton, princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte left as senior royals.

Meghan and Harry have stepped back as senior royals, although continue to support charities from their home in LA.

The royal couple announced today they’ll join A-listers Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez at a coronavirus concert to “reunite the world”.

And in a long statement on their Archewell website, they said they’ll be “helping lead a worldwide effort to equitably distribute the Covid-19 vaccine to everyone, everywhere”.