Public split on whether Prince Harry should return to royal duties as Prince and Princess of Wales remain most popular Royals

• 34% support Prince Harry returning to royal duties on a permanent basis, with 37% opposed
• Catherine, the Princess of Wales and Prince William remain the most popular Royals with 66% and 65% holding favourable opinions of them
• 56% of those surveyed believe King Charles is doing a good job as King

New research from Ipsos, carried out 6-9 September (before the Princess of Wales’ announcement that she has completed chemotherapy treatment), shows that most Britons remain supportive of the King, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Royal Family as whole.  As the Princess of Wales prepares to resume some public-facing duties following her cancer treatment, she remains the most popular member of the Royal Family, with 66% of Britons holding a favourable opinion of her. The Prince of Wales is similarly well-regarded at 65% favourable. Over half (56%) of Britons continue to believe that King Charles III is doing a good job as King.  The Royal Family’s image remains positive overall, with 53% of Britons saying they feel favourable towards them (18% unfavourable, net +35), while 44% think it would be worse for the country if the monarchy were abolished, versus 23% who think it would be better without it (27% say it would make no difference).

Support for Prince Harry returning to royal duties

• The public is split on the possibility of Prince Harry returning to royal duties on a permanent basis, with 34% in favour and 37% opposed. 
• Support for Prince Harry’s return is up slightly from March when the question was asked in the context of King Charles and the Princess of Wales taking a break from public duties, when 25% of Britons were in favour of him returning to royal duties (+9). 
• Support for his return is highest among those aged 18-34, at 46%. Conversely, just 19% of those aged 55-75 are in favour of the idea. 

• The public is more favourable towards Prince Harry and Prince William than another famous set of brothers who have had their differences, Liam and Noel Gallagher. 36% prefer the princes, versus 17% for the Gallagher brothers. 

Support for the monarchy

• Two in five (44%) Britons believe that it would be worse for Britain in the future if the monarchy was abolished. This is little changed from 46% in April.  23% think it would be better if it was abolished, and 27% that it would make no difference.

Popularity of members of the Royal Family 

• The Prince and Princess of Wales are the most popular members of the Royal Family. 66% hold a favourable view of the Princess of Wales (-3 since April), and 10% unfavourable (net +56). The Prince of Wales follows closely behind with 65% favourable (down 4) and 13% unfavourable (net +52).  
• Over half (56%) of Britons believe that King Charles III is doing a good job as King. This is unchanged since April.
• The same proportion (56%) hold a favourable view of the King, with 18% unfavourable (net +38).   
• 41% are favourable towards Queen Camilla, with 27% unfavourable (net +14). 
• Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex have lower favourability ratings. 28% are favourable towards Prince Harry (down 3), with 46% unfavourable (net -18). 21% are favourable towards the Duchess of Sussex (down 4), with over half (53%) unfavourable (net -32). 

Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Politics at Ipsos said: 

This recent poll paints a picture of the Royal Family's enduring appeal; even as public opinion remains divided by age and towards members outside the core group. While the Princess of Wales continues to be the most popular Royal, closely followed by Prince William, the data reveals a clear generational split in attitudes towards Prince Harry. Younger Britons are more than twice as likely to support his return to royal duties than those aged 55-75. It's also noteworthy that over half of Britons believe King Charles is performing well in his role, and only a minority want to abolish the monarchy, suggesting a degree of stability in the Royal Family’s image. However, younger generations continue to feel much less enthusiastic about the monarchy, which underscores the need for the Royals to build connections with this group.

Technical Note

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,097 adults aged 18-75 across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted by telephone between the 6th – 9th September 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.