A new survey has named the Princess of Wales as the UK’s favourite royal, as Harry and Meghan’s popularity drops.
The poll – which was carried out before the publication of the controversial edited Mother’s Day photo – found 38 per cent of Brits like Kate Middleton the most.
The princess is especially popular with women, with 44 per cent preferring her compared to 32 per cent of men.
Half of those aged 55 to 75 also named Kate as their favourite, according to the Ipsos poll commissioned for The Standard.
For those aged 35-54, 37 per cent listed the princess as their top choice, along with 28 per cent of those aged 18 to 34.
A survey has named the Princess of Wales as the UK’s favourite royal (pictured in November)
The princess is especially popular with women, with 44 per cent preferring her compared to 32 per cent of men. Kate Middleton pictured at the King’s Coronation
The poll – which was carried out before the publication of the controversial edited Mother’s Day photo – found 38 per cent of Brits like Kate Middleton the most
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have plummeted in popularity – with Harry on 11 per cent and Meghan on seven per cent. Pictured in Whistler, Canada
Kate’s husband is the runner up, with William being preferred by 36 per cent, and then Princess Anne by 26 per cent.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were only the favourite of 12 per cent of Brits polled – up by two points since the last survey.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have plummeted in popularity – with Harry on 11 per cent and Meghan on seven per cent.
The Princess of Wales has been the subject of intense speculation and conspiracy theories in recent weeks.
Social media sleuths were already wondering as to her whereabouts before the explosive Mother’s Day photograph which saw six of the world’s top picture agencies sensationally pull the photo from their wires and libraries amid concern that the ‘source has manipulated the image’.
The princess has been recovering from surgery since January, but her absence from the public eye set conspiracy theorists postulating.
But when a photo of Kate along with her children was posted on Mother’s Day, speculation took on a whole new form.
Eagle-eyed social media users pointed out a plethora of issues with the image – and shortly after it was pulled by photo agencies.
Then, the princess posted an apology for the confusion caused, admitting she had tweaked the family photo.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were only the favourite of 12 per cent of Brits polled
The Princess of Wales has been the subject of intense speculation and conspiracy theories
The princess is known to be an avid photographer, and admitted she had edited the picture
Prince William and his wife Kate,stand outside of Westminster Abbey after their Royal Wedding
Kate was last seen at a royal event on Christmas Day 2023 with her family at Sandringham
Kate posted the apology on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Instagram account
William and Kate were spotted leaving Windsor for Westminster Abbey after the apology
Royal insiders have claimed she wants to move on from the storm caused by the image and say she is struggling with the aftermath.
Kate is understood to be recovering well from her major abdominal surgery and is set to be back by Easter, but sources say she needs to be left in peace to put her recovery first.
She publicly took the blame for the family photograph released by Kensington Palace on Sunday as she issued an apology for the ‘confusion’.
identified sixteen separate edits, including issues with the princess’s jeans zipper and right hand – amid claims the photo was digitally altered.
Just hours after her apology, Kate was pictured alongside her husband leaving Windsor Castle as he headed to Westminster Abbey or the annual Commonwealth Day service.
But rather than an extraordinary return to royal duties, understands that Kate was heading to a private appointment instead.
Sources within the royal circles are warning of the negative affect rumours may be having on the future Queen as she recovers from her major surgery in January.
‘It’s an awful lot to be under all of this public scrutiny when you are recovering from major surgery,’ one told American celebrity news site Page Six.
‘The rumour mill — particularly on social media — has gotten out of control, but Kate is recovering well and she will be back by Easter. She just needs to be left in peace.’
Another insider added: ‘I worry about all this attention on Catherine. She did not look happy at all in the car on Monday.’
Picture agencies around the world took the extraordinary step of killing the photo of Kate
The PA news agency said it had withdrawn the image of Kate from its picture service
Despite calls for the original image to be published, Kensington Palace insisted it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph of Kate and her children.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond suggested Kate ‘must feel under intense pressure now whenever she’s going to be seen in public’ after her major surgery in January.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke their silence on the photo editing scandal toady, denying claims that they said the Duchess would ‘never make that mistake’.
Amid increasing speculation surrounding the Mother’s Day image of Kate and her children, which was released to the world by Kensington Palace on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation spoke out to deny that any official representative for the couple had made comments about the controversy to Page Six.
Speaking to Newsweek, the spokesperson addressed quotes published by the outlet, which stated that a source ‘close to Prince William, Harry and his wife’, had not come ‘from us’.
The source in question stated to Page Six that the editing error ‘isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make’, noting that ‘she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail’.
However, Archewell’s official spokesperson has now insisted to Newsweek that the information ‘did not come from us’, stating simply: ‘With respect to Page Six, that did not come from us.’
The statement marks the first time that Harry, 39, and his wife have officially addressed the photo editing controversy in any official capacity.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke their silence on the photo editing scandal toady, denying claims that they said the Duchess would ‘never make that mistake’
In addition to the claims made about Meghan ‘never making the [same] mistake’, Page Six also published quotes from an insider who stated that the Sussexes ‘would have been annihilated’ had they released a similarly-edited image.
‘If Harry and Meghan had ever encountered the same issue they would have been annihilated,’ the source quotes read.
‘The same rules do not apply to both couples.
‘This isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make… she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail.’
The outlet did not state that the quotes had come from inside Archewell however – and Newsweek noted that the comments could have been made by an acquaintance of the Sussexes who is not officially connected to the Foundation.