The Crown Report: The Dangers of a Royal Popularity Contest
Prince William, Kate Dominate Royal Popularity Poll, Prince Harry, Meghan and Prince Andrew at Bottom
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Before we get into this latest addition of The Crown Report, I want to thank all of the new subscribers to Royal News Network here on Substack!! In addition to providing some thought pieces on the latest antics of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, I try to do a weekly editions that are called The Crown Report! It’s a breakdown of all the royal news of the week, mostly centering on Europe while occasionally featuring the Middle Eastern and Asian royal families. I do a livestream covering it on my YouTube channel as well, also called Royal News Network, if you’re interested in some additional analysis.
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The Dangers of a Royal Popularity Contest
The Prince Harry and Meghan Markle saga has been damaging to the monarchy in many ways. From the accusations of racism to Prince Harry’s warts and all memoir ‘Spare’, which laid bare the incredible divisions between himself and members of his family (and also his frostbitten penis). But one of the most interesting outcomes of the cosplay royal debacle, for both good and ill, is the wild increase in the use of polls to measure the popularity of various royal family members and the public’s sentiment regarding the monarchy overall.
It’s essentially turning the royal family into a popularity contest and it needs to end.
Before the massive disruption of Harry and Meghan, Oprah interviews, Netflix, Spotify and self-indulgent, deluded memoirs, polls taken for members of the royal family were relegated to every couple of years. That has now been increased to just about every month or every other month for YouGov.
The latest poll results show the most popular members of the royal family, the first two being the Princess and Prince of Wales. This shouldn’t be a surprise, given that they are a young family and with Catherine’s recent cancer battle the public has an incredible soft spot for William and Catherine. Princess Anne brings up the number three spot showing that being the hardest working member of the royal family and one with the least airs has its immense benefits.
Who’s on the bottom of the list should be no surprise.
Third from the bottom is Prince Harry, who’s probably still only this high on the list as he was everyone’s favorite royal at one point. He even beat the Queen for the popularity crown before his spectacular fall from grace. When Harry decided to marry Meghan Markle, who is second from last on the list, he sealed his fate. Their calamitous decisions have made him the bane of existence ever since. His public reputation will never recover. Unsurprisingly, the highly unlikable and pompous Prince Andrew rounds out the list at the very bottom.
Perhaps the most concerning is the high negative perception of King Charles and Queen Camilla. As it turns out, the specter of Princess Diana still looms large in their lives, despite her passing nearly 30 years ago. They are both getting on with it, but I imagine that the situation still is somewhat frustrating given the time that has passed since collapse of Charles’ marriage to Diana.
Though a popularity poll is not the end all be all, it is troubling that it has suddenly become a common way to evaluate members of the royal family. Given that their service takes place over decades, a monthly popularity poll doesn’t actually make a ton of sense. They’re not making a political decisions that can impact the day-to-day lives of the population, they’re merely continuing their royal duties and supporting the nation. It may take decades for a decision or a project to see dividends, and yet for some reason we need to see every couple of months where everyone stands? It doesn’t make sense.
In fact, I would argue that it potentially undermines the institution by pitting one member of the family against another.
This decision has in essence made royals politicians, whose likability is impacted by the whims of the latest increases to produce and gas prices. So what’s behind this change?
Why it’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? (Anyone surprised?)
Polls have now become a way to gage how the public is reacting to the latest Harry and Meghan antics. By continuing these bi-monthly polls, YouGov and others are acknowledging the power of the cosplay royals to sway the public. Yes, they are no longer working members but the polls no longer exist to really track the feelings about various members of the royal family, but to see if the public believes Meghan Markle when she alleges “racism”against Charles and Catherine through her author friend Omid Scobie.
Royals should not be evaluated like politicians, which is why these incessant polls need to end. All it shows is that the Wales remain the most popular, usually trading off with having first place, while the cosplay royals and the potential criminal element that is Prince Andrew remain at the bottom. It should only be necessary to do one or two a year. Any more is unnecessary. If the pollsters feel the need to see where sentiment lies with Harry and Meghan, poll exclusively about them and leave the rest alone.
But sometimes in the press it’s more fun to pit members of the royal family against each other, and I do find that to be rather sad.
British Royal News…
Their Majesties The King and Queen and The Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended the Commonwealth Service. Last year it was just Queen Camilla and Prince William, as both King Charles and The Princess of Wales were undergoing cancer treatments.
Prince William and Catherine, The Princess of Wales undertook a series of engagements in Wales before St. David’s Day, where they were greeted by very enthusiastic crowd. The couple were there to see the impact of recent flooding in local communities.
Prince William traveled to Bournemouth and the Millennium House where he launched an official £50 million partnership between his program Homewards and Helping Britain Prosper to address the issue of housing and homelessness.
Prince William showed off his Welsh language skills to mixed results as part of St David’s Day.
Prince William is looking to the future of mental health and how AI technology can help through Mental Health Innovations. He also shared what it was like to volunteer on the crisis helpline for young people during the pandemic. The experience he described as “terrifying.” He told members of a youth advisory board, “I did volunteering for a bit back over Covid, and some of those conversations lived with me for quite a long time afterwards.”
Prince William to travel to Estonia in order to support British Troops from March 20-21.
There is a new SNP chief executive Carol Beattie previously suggested on X that the Princess of Wales should be beheaded. In the now deleted tweet, she said, that it is “time for the French solution to the monarchy,” a reference to the guillotine. Though she lost her political race and had to apologize, her placement as the new SNP chief executive is concerning.
King Charles shared “songs which have brought me joy” as part of the Commonwealth Day and Apple Music.
King Charles met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after the Ukrainian President had a disastrous appearance at the White House with the Trump Administration.
King Charles extended an invitation to President Donald Trump for a second State Visit to the U.K., which will be held at Windsor Castle. It’s a historic event as Trump is the first President to receive an invitation to two state visits, and with two different monarchs.
King Charles also met with outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
King Charles visited the Royal College of Nursing in London, where he was given lifesaving lessons in CPR.
King Charles participated in the planting of a tree on the grounds of Buckingham Palace to commemorate the success of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, which began during the the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The tree was a Acer rebury ‘October Glory’.
Queen Camilla has stated that despite her lifelong passion for reading, she’s finding it harder to stay awake and finish a book.
Queen Camilla hosted ‘The One Show’ as part of the BBC 500 Words, which is a children’s writing competition.
Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh spent time with The Queen’s Own Yeomanry while visiting the Warcop Training Centre.
King Charles has a new addition to the family! He was given a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy, who he named Snuff. He apparently is “besotted.”
Queen Camilla met with “27 members of the Wiltshire community on the work they are doing to tackle domestic abuse.”
The Royal Family social media account faced backlash after posting portraits taken by female photographers, and not including the Princess of Wales, who is a keen photographer.
Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh has become a patron of the Mother’s Union.
Princess Beatrice has become the patron of Borne’s Wonderland Gala, a charity that focused on prematurity research. Their gala was her first public appearance since the birth of her second child, which she had several weeks prematurely.
Princess Eugenie posted her condolences after the death of Michelle Trachtenberg, whom she met in New York.
Danish Royal News…
King Frederik and Queen Mary hosted a gala dinner for those who are part of the arts and cultural scene of Denmark.
King Frederik and Queen Mary undertook a State Visit to Finland, their Nordic neighbor. Mary brought a surprise tiara out of the royal vault, the Queen Caroline Amalie’s Gold Tiara, which is filled with antique gems, and Princess Vilhelmine Marie’s bracelet that has Vesuvius stone.
Queen Mary had to cancel a series of engagements due to illness.
King Frederik, Queen Mary and their children went to meet their oldest son Crown Prince Christian as he undergoes military training with The Guard Hussar Regiment in Slagelse. It was a time where families could check out the barracks, meet fellow recruits
Dutch Royal News…
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima undertook a State Visit to Cyprus.
King Willem-Alexander hosted a meeting with ten people who sent letters to the Royal Family last year. They were chosen out of the thousands of letters from the public that the Palace receives. It’s a way to address concerns and talk about the possibilities they see to strengthen society.
Queen Maxima visited New York City in her role as U.N. Secretary-General Special Advocate for Financial Health.
Queen Maxima visited Nieuw Rotterdam, where young people can meet and build mental resilience.
Norwegian Royal News…
Members of the Norwegian Royal Family attended the events at Trondheim.
The Norwegian Royal Court announces that Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s chronic pulmonary fibrosis has progressed. This means that her royal engagements will be increasingly subjected to last minute changes.
An extended restraining order has been granted to the ex-girlfriend of Marius Borg Høiby after he allegedly attacked her in August. It was supposed to expire on March 2 and is now extended to June 2.
Spanish Royal News…
King Felipe received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alcalá. Queen Letizia was there for his ceremony.
Infanta Sofia has finished her International Baccalaureate degree. The Spanish Court will announce the plans for her future soon, whether or not it will be the military academy, university or even a gap year.
Upcoming…
March 18-20: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will undertake a State Visit to Kenya. It will be the first for a Dutch monarch.
March 27-28: Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa will host the President of Singapore for a State Visit. It will be one of the last Grand Duke Henri hosts before abdicating later in October.
March 31 - April 2: King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark will travel to France for a State Visit.
Princess Isabella’s 18th Birthday celebrations will take place before her birthday on April 21, which is the day after Easter.
April 11: There will be a birthday event at Aarhus City Hall with a fashion show and a birthday cake presented.
April 15: The Princess and The Royal Family attend a birthday performance on The Old State of The Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. (There are some hopes that this event might be tiara worthy.)
The U.K. is going to have several events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. Here are the notable events where royals are almost guaranteed to be in attendance:
May 5: A military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft including the famous Red Arrows.
May 6: Ceramic poppies will be displayed around the Tower of London. Historic landmarks will be lit up.
May 8: A service will be held at Westminster Abbey. There will be a concert at the historic Horseguards Parade.
June 11-13: King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark will visit the Faroe Islands.
September 11: Valentine Low is going to publish POWER AND THE PALACE, an exploration between the monarch and the prime ministers. It will be out on Sept 11.
I loved this. I really appreciated the breakdown of events from all the Royal families. I agree about "ranking" the Royals and turning it into a popularity contest. I think it lowers the Royal family to the celebrity status that Harry and Meghan have. And they are not A or even D-list celebs. There is a danger of making what they do common and takes away from it's importance. Also, Harry, Meg, and Andrew are no longer working Royals, and as you mentioned, Diana has been gone for 30 years. It's time to remove them from all lists.
I do not usually comment, so please bear with me, this may be a long one. I am a third generation Brit – my family came from Italy and until recently were staunch royalists. The idea of polls to gauge the popularity of royals is usually meaningless but in this case King Charles needs to pay attention. You mentioned that the spectre of Princess Diana still looms large, and this is part of the problem with a negative perception of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
King Charles has always appeared out of touch with the people, but this has never been more obvious than it is now. The UK is in turmoil and there is division and anger like I have never seen, we are sitting on a powder keg and now is the time for a steadying force – that was our late Queen. Sadly, it is not her son, he is in lock step with a government betraying the people daily, he makes speeches discussing diversity, honouring our differences, and accepting all others, but supports the suppression of speech – the silencing of British people. I never thought I would see political prisoners in the UK – locked up for speaking out, locked up for silent prayer, locked up for calling the government to account on grooming gangs, the Southport murders, the enormous sums of money to support illegal immigrants in hotel, excessive crime, knife crime – the list goes on and a Royal Commission should have been called on much of this.
The elderly have spent the winter suffering, many existing on a can of soup or beans for the day and heating for no more than an hour, if at all. We have veterans – men and women living and dying in the streets from cold and hunger – the king is their Commander-in-Chief. Nurses relying on food banks to eat. Families cannot afford to feed their children and food banks are closing across the country – the optics of the king opening Windsor Castle for a Ramadan feast has gone down like a lead balloon.
Christians are openly asking, how can he represent the church and the Christian faith when he learnt Arabic to better understand the Quran & continues to show his admiration of the Islamic faith but does utter a word for Lent.
And that is just a very small part of the issue.
As for Queen Camilla, she had earned the respect of many but that is also changing. From a personal note, as mentioned we came from Italy – my father is a Catholic and my mother is Jewish, we were raised going to shul on a Friday and mass on a Sunday, as we got older, we picked what we wanted to be. As you can imagine it was a loud household full of loud discussion, but a point of agreement was always the royal family, especially the Queen. I never thought I would hear my Nonna say “I can no longer support the royal family” but the final straw came on the day Queen Camilla made a speech at the Holocaust memorial. During that speech there was a reference Islam and a call that islamophobia must be stopped – at a Holocaust memorial – we were there and the audible gasps were clear – wrong place and wrong time especially given the attacks and hatred many are experiencing here in London - daily.
Many people now feel that when our Queen died so did the need for royalty, Charles needs to listen and be a voice for his people – the people that feel betrayed by both king and government.