Meghan Markle and Harry’s absence is ‘telling’ says expert

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Ahead of the Platinum Jubilee weekend, a new YouGov poll showed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s popularity had hit its lowest level yet after the couple stepped back from royal life in 2020. Just one in three people viewed Prince Harry in a positive light in the polling, with Meghan scoring even lower at 23 percent.

Almost two-thirds of respondents held a negative view of the Duchess, marking her lowest-ever favourability score.

However, Prince Andrew trailed in last place as the least-liked Royal Family member, with a tiny five percent of the public seeing the Duke of York in a favourable light.

An overwhelming 85 percent of respondents had a negative impression of the 62-year-old.

The results of the poll, however, are the only “major similarity” between the Duke of York and the Duchess of Sussex, journalist Emma Mackenzie has said.

Ms Mackenzie wrote in The Independent: “This lack of popularity in itself is enough for many to draw comparisons between the two.

“In reality, they couldn’t be more different.”

She added: “That Meghan ranks second only to Andrew in the popularity polls is somewhat shocking.”

Ms Mackenzie contrasted Meghan’s upbringing with that of Prince Andrew, two childhoods that “couldn’t have less in common”.

She continued: “One married into the Royal Family and the other has never known life outside of it.

“Meghan spent decades forging her own way and identity.

“Andrew, on the other hand, had his path laid out for him from birth, and as the second son of the Queen, a public identity established he always knew he would be required to fulfil.”

She wrote that the only legitimate comparison between the two royals would be the two high-profile televised interviews starring Prince Andrew and Meghan.

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The Duchess of Sussex appeared in a bombshell interview alongside her husband with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey back in 2021, which “is perhaps the only tangible thing they share with Prince Andrew”.

In 2019, the Duke was interviewed by Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis on his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

But “Meghan’s admission of severe mental health struggles”, with both the backlash to and outpouring of support for such a confession, “proved she is nothing if not a divisive figure”.

Both the Duke of York and the Duchess of Sussex have been stripped of their HRH titles, meaning neither royal appeared at some significant moments of the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

Meghan and Harry made the trip back to the UK from their California home for the celebrations, attending Friday’s service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral over the extended weekend.

But Prince Andrew was nowhere to be seen at the service after Buckingham Palace announced the Duke had tested positive for Covid.

A palace spokesperson said at the beginning of the Jubilee weekend: “After undertaking a routine test the duke has tested positive for Covid and with regret will no longer be attending tomorrow’s service.”

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