Some royals are much more liked than others. It’s not a competition of course, but if it were, Prince William would be winning. The future king has proven to be very much a beloved royal figure just as his mother, Princess Diana predicted.
A poll conducted by YouGov found that the British public had an overall positive opinion of William, 75% as a matter of fact. For comparison the second highest was the prince’s wife, Kate Middleton, with 72%. However, the British public aren’t particularly fond of the Sussexes with Harry and Meghan scoring 27 and 20 respectively. Still, it’s not as bad as Prince Andrew, who currently has a positive rating of 5%.
Princess Diana predicted William’s popularity
Speaking to the Mirror, royal expert Jennie Bond claimed that William’s popularity is not much of a surprise considering his mother predicted it. “Diana once said to me: ‘William’s alright. The country is very lucky to have William. I think she was bang on.” Of course, mothers will always speak highly of their own children, but in this case it certainly seems like Diana was onto something.
Bond attributes the prince’s popularity to his modern approach to royal duties. “Clearly, William is doing something very right. His informal, approachable way of going about his work is resonating with the public.” Unlike his predecessors, William isn’t afraid to break from tradition which has helped make him much more relatable to everyday brits.
“He’ll pose for selfies with the crowds, he’ll even work the camera for them if they get flustered! All this adds up to a prince and future King who seems reasonably in touch – despite his privileged status.”
He’s also not afraid to put his family’s needs above the needs of the firm, something which, again, makes him that much more relatable to the public.
Of course, putting your family first doesn’t always equate to popularity. Even though Prince Harry arguably put his family first with his decision to step away from royal life and move to California, it hasn’t gone down well with the public. In fact most people would likely accuse the Sussexes of stabbing the royals in the back. As such Prince William seems to have cut his brother and Meghan out of his life altogether.
So clearly being a royal and being likeable isn’t as easy as it looks. It’s a fine line, a balancing act that could come tumbling down at the slightest error. William for his part has so far managed to artfully toe the line between royalty and relatability and it seems Diana saw that potential in him even when he was a child.
