Prince Harry has dropped 45 points and Meghan Markle 36 points in an opinion poll of US voters in just over a month amid the furore over the release of Spare.
The couple, who were previously hugely popular in the US, have sunk in the polls as Prince Harry launched a fresh attack on the royal family and revealed a range of intimate details such as how he lost his virginity in his new tell-all memoir.
Spare became the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time on the day of its release earlier this month, topping sales charts around the world including in the US, according to its publisher.
The new polling comes as Harry’s candid revelations and allegations about members of his family, most noticeably his brother Prince William, has put in jeopardy the family’s chance to set aside their differences at the coronation of Prince Charles III later this year.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have both seen their approval ratings drop dramatically since the beginning of December
Prince Harry’s book, Spare, was released on January 10 and quickly became one of the fastest selling non-fiction books ever, but the fallout from the Duke’s book looks set to linger
New polling by Redfield & Wilton for Newsweek revealed Prince Harry now has an approval rate of -7 on January 16, compared to +38 on December 5.
Meanwhile Meghan Markle had an approval rating of -13, compared to +23 on December 5.
The poll, which was made up of 2,000 US voters, marks a serious backslide in ratings for the couple, who moved to the country after stepping back from royal duties in March 2020.
On Monday Prince Harry was liked by 31 percent of those polled and disliked by 38 percent.
Meghan Markle was liked by 26 percent of those polled and disliked by 39 percent.
The poll also found that women were slightly less likely to like Ms Markle than men.
Asked about whether Harry was right to reveal intimate conversations with his family members in the memoir, 44 percent said he was wrong, with 26 percent saying he was right.
Harry and Meghan’s approval ratings remained unchanged in 37 percent and 38 percent of Americans respectively.
The figure is striking given the amount that the couple have been in the news in the last few months, following the release of their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and Harry’s new book.
Redfield & Wilton’s poll also found that only a third of the population had not heard anything about the contents of the book.
It comes as the couple become increasingly unpopular in the UK, with recent polling for MailOnline revealing 56 percent of people believe they should lose all their royal titles and patronages.
Among young people, the monarchy itself is also becoming less and less welcomed.
The poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, on behalf of MailOnline, also reveals that Harry’s attacks on Charles, his brother William and sister-in-law Kate have not changed the public’s perception of them at all. Kate’s polling improved.
Prince Harry’s popularity among the British public has slumped to an all-time low, a YouGov poll last week suggested
The Prince of Wales’ polling remains strong despite being accused of attacking his younger sibling after a blazing row where he called Meghan ‘difficult’ and ‘abrasive’.
Meanwhile Prince Harry’s approval ratings dropped to a record low of -44.
In the memoir, Prince Harry alleged that his brother shoved him into a dog’s bowl during the heated row after he began dating Meghan, leaving it in ‘pieces’.
He claimed he could tell Prince William wanted him to hit him back, but he refused to do so. He added his brother later apologised.
He also revealed personal details such as how he lost his virginity to a younger woman in a field behind a pub.
In his new book, Harry claims members of the royal household regularly briefed to the press, including for negative articles about Meghan.
Harry has been criticised for sharing private conversations with and intimate details about his family members.
However, the prince claimed there are many other details he has chosen not to share because ‘I just don’t want the world to know’, adding his family might not ‘ever forgive’ him if he did so.
Harry has since challenged his family members to speak with him and apologise to Meghan, though it is not clear what for.
It is understood there are hopes for peace talks between Prince Harry and his relatives before his father’s coronation this summer.
