A new poll has named the Princess of Wales as the UK’s favorite royal, as William’s popularity fell marginally.
The survey found that 63 percent of Britons view Kate, 42, as “favorable,” a slight increase from Prince William’s score of 62 percent.
The Princess of Wales has been the subject of intense speculation and conspiracy theories in recent months and found herself in a social media storm after admitting to editing a Mother’s Day family photograph.
But this doesn’t seem to affect its popularity, and it still rates well among Brits.
Royal insiders have claimed she wants to weather the storm caused by the image and say she is struggling with the fallout.
Regardless of the furor over photo editing, 34 percent rated Kate “very favorable,” a two percent increase over her husband’s rating, according to the survey conducted by Savanta Research for The Independent.
The Prince of Wales (seen in April) was knocked out of the top spot as Britain’s favorite royal by just one per cent.
However, Harry and Meghan scored considerably lower in comparison.
Only 29 percent of participants found Prince Harry “favorable,” while Meghan’s score was one percent lower at 28 percent.
While William managed to impress 33 per cent of participants as “very favourable”, Harry attracted just nine per cent in the same category – the same score achieved by Meghan.
The Duke of York was the UK’s least favorite royal, with only 14 per cent of respondents considering him “favourable”.
Prince Andrew, 64, retired from public duties in 2019 following the scandal surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes after Kate and William broke tradition today for the second time in weeks by delaying the release of a birthday portrait until late on the morning of the big day.
Princess Charlotte turns nine today, and fans around the world who were eagerly awaiting a new photo of the young royal had to wait a little longer than they expected to see a photo of the birthday girl.
Kensington Palace normally releases portraits of Welsh children at midnight to mark their birthdays, but Charlotte’s photo, which was captured by her mother, was withheld.
Mother-of-three Kate, who is undergoing cancer treatment, also delayed publishing a photo of her youngest son Prince Louis to mark his sixth birthday last month, with the image not appearing until the afternoon.
The Mail’s Rebecca English revealed that the couple had initially decided not to publish any photos of Louis due to his recent calls for privacy at such an “unprecedented” time for their family, but changed their minds because they wanted to thank fans for their kind Wishes to Prince Louis.
And speaking to The Express, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams added that once they decided to release a photo, there was probably a lot of discussion about the best approach, given the furor over Kate’s edited Mother’s Day photo.
Kate achieved the title of Britain’s favorite royal, with 63 per cent of participants rating her ‘favourable’ (seen alongside William, George, Charlotte and Louis in 2022).
Overall, Richard said the moment could “emphasize Kate’s need for time, space and privacy.”
Describing the “controversial” subject of her Mother’s Day portrait, she described the reaction as a “very embarrassing setback.”
She added that not rushing to post a birthday photo of Louis could also “emphasize his need for time, space and privacy which he expressed so poignantly” in the video message revealing he has cancer.
Earlier this year, the Princess of Wales detailed how the cancer cells were discovered, while undergoing surgery for a different condition in January.
He explained that he hadn’t talked about it before because he wanted to have time to “explain everything” to George, Charlotte and Louis and assure them “I’m going to be okay.”
In March, royal fans were thrown into crisis after the Associated Press issued a “takedown notice” over a photograph of the Princess of Wales and her three children that had been published for Mother’s Day.
It was the first official photo released of Kate after she underwent abdominal surgery in January.
That night, the Associated Press became the first agency to “kill” the photo for an “inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
While the AP said there was no suggestion the photo was fake, it backtracked because it said that upon closer inspection the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet the agency’s photography standards.
The following day, the Princess of Wales admitted that she edited the Mother’s Day photo herself and apologized for “any confusion” it had caused.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex scored lower than Wales, with Harry at 29 percent and Meghan at 28 percent. Photographed in Whistler, Canada.
63 per cent of respondents found the Princess of Wales “favourable”, compared to 62 per cent for William.
A statement from the Princess of Wales read: “Like many amateur photographers, I experiment with editing from time to time.
‘I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion caused by the family photograph we shared yesterday. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C’
Two weeks later, the Princess of Wales announced she was battling cancer, amid growing pressure for the Palace to comment on her condition.
The Princess of Wales is believed to have announced her cancer diagnosis on March 22, as that was the day George, Charlotte and Louis left Lambrook School in Bracknell for their Easter holidays.
The announcement may have been timed so that your children wouldn’t have to immediately face questions on the playground after the news became public.
The family reportedly spent the Easter holidays together as they adjusted to Kate’s diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery.
In the emotional message, which was filmed in Windsor, Kate revealed that the news came as a “huge shock” and that she and William “have been doing everything they can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
Speaking from a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring flowers, he said: “It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way appropriate to them, and to reassure them that I am going to be fine.”
‘As I have told you; I’m doing well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirit.
‘Having William by my side is also a great source of comfort and peace of mind. As has the love, support and kindness that many of you have shown. It means a lot to both of us.
Kate revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a planned operation at The London Clinic in January.