Prince Harry is now more popular in America than Prince William, seven months after his memoir sent his approval rating into free fall.
The Duke of Sussex was liked by 48 percent and disliked by 24 percent during the second quarter of 2023, giving him a net approval rating of +24, according to data collected by YouGov.
Prince William was liked by 43 percent and disliked by 21 percent over the same three-month period, giving him a net approval rating of +22.
Kate Middleton was more popular than both, however, liked by 46 percent and disliked by 11 percent, putting her on +35.
The data comes from roughly 1,500 interviews conducted between April and June, a different methodology to standard surveys, which generally run over a few days.
YouGov's figures are a significant boost for the duke in the aftermath of the collapse of his Spotify deal, which saw him and Meghan Markle labeled "f****** gifters" by Bill Simmons, an executive at the streaming platform.
However, Harry is yet to recover the popularity he held prior to the release of his book Spare in January 2023 and Netflix documentary the month earlier.
Polling by Redfield & Wilton for Newsweek on December 5 showed Harry was liked by 52 percent and disliked by 14 percent, giving him a net approval of +38.
In the same survey, Kate was liked by 52 percent and disliked by 9 percent, while William was liked by 51 percent and disliked by 11 percent.
All three royals have taken a knock following the release of Spare, though initially the damage appeared to hit Harry and Meghan far harder.
Polling for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton showed Harry had dropped 45 points and Meghan 36 by January 16, six days after publication.
Harry's story about remembering Princess Diana as he rubbed his mother's favorite Elizabeth Arden lip cream on his frostbitten penis was widely ridiculed, including by Trevor Noah, a guest on Meghan's Archetypes podcast.
Since then, their Spotify podcast deal has collapsed and reports have suggested their Netflix deal will not be renewed once it runs its natural course.
While the gradual recovery of his popularity is a positive sign for Harry, he still has to worry about perception in the showbiz and media world where the Sussexes have sought to ply their trade.
Simmons, Spotify's head of podcast innovation and monetization, told his own show: "I wish I had been involved in the Meghan and Harry leave Spotify negotiation. 'The F****** Grifters,' that's the podcast we should have launched with them.
"I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry, trying to help him with a podcast idea. It's one of my best stories."
Jeremy Zimmer, CEO of United Talent Agency, also took a swipe during the Cannes Lions festival in June: "Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent. And, you know, just because you're famous doesn't make you great at something."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
