William beats Harry in his own backyard: Prince of Wales is America’s most popular public figure ahead of President Zelensky and Donald Trump, poll reveals – as Duke of Sussex jokes he would ‘happily live in Japan’
Prince William has been crowned America’s favourite public figure, a new poll revealed today, as Harry and Meghan’s attacks failed to damage his reputation in the US.
The Prince of Wales, 41, even ranks above former US President Donald Trump and his successor Joe Biden with experts saying the British royal’s charity work and staying out of politics means his popularity goes ‘beyond borders’.
In the past year Harry, in his Spare memoir and a Netflix documentary, accused William of physically attacking him. He also claimed there were repeated rows over his marriage to Meghan Markle, who the heir to the British throne allegedly branded ‘rude and difficult’.
But polling giant Gallup has asked US voters what they thought of 15 big names on the world stage – and William came top. Harry was not in the poll, but according to polling commissioned for Newsweek in March, after Spare’s release in January, Harry’s popularity had dropped 48 points in the US since December and Meghan’s was down 40 points.
Gallup today acknowledged the ‘surprise’ of an English royal, Prince William, beating the ‘nation’s own democratically elected and appointed leaders’. He polled well with both Republicans and Democrats
And despite Harry and Meghan’s transatlantic potshots since Megxit, King Charles also polled positively, just below Jill Biden, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It came as 38-year-old Prince Harry jetted on an Asian tour with old friend Nacho Figueras. He touched down in Japan on Tuesday and told crowds he would ‘happily live here if you’d have me’.
Prince William of Wales and Catherine Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. William is hugely popular in the US, a new poll revealed
Harry, who is in Asia playing polo, has attacked his brother repeatedly since he left Britain
There were tensions with Harry and the Prince and Princess of Wales over his marriage to Meghan, he said
Lydia Saad, Gallup’s director of US social research, said William’s approval ratings reflected how he is ‘out of the partisan fray’ in the UK – and not involved in US politics in any way.
READ MORE: Next stop, Singapore! Prince Harry leaves Japan to play in a Sentebale polo match with old friend Nacho after pair larked around ‘shopping for their wives’ in Tokyo
She said: ‘The much higher ratings he receives from older Americans and women may tie back to their affection for his mother and feelings of empathy towards him over her death.’
Gallup has said their poll could be the latest sign of how deeply polarised American society has become, especially because Americans waged a war of independence nearly 250 years ago to escape the ‘tyranny of the British crown.’
‘The US may need to look beyond its borders to find public figures that a majority of Americans feel good about,’ said the statement.
At home, it’s difficult to find somebody who ‘Republicans and Democrats can agree on,’ it added.
Gallup asked more than 1,000 adults nationwide whether they had favourable or unfavourable views of the 15 public figures they pre-chose.
The difference between those two percentage scores revealed their favourability rating.
59 per cent of respondents described Prince William favourably, and 22 percent unfavourably. That put the prince 37 percentage points above negative territory.
ranked him far ahead of every American politician in the survey, which was conducted last month.
Donald Trump, Joe Biden, his Vice President Kamala Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence are all in negative territory by 14 points or more.
The only Americans who pass the favourability test are First Lady Jill Biden and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
And only public figure to come close to Prince William was Ukraine’s embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Prince William came top by scoring well among Republicans as well as Democrats
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) is more popular in the US than the country’s own leader, Joe Biden
Zelenskyy is lionised at home and in western democracies for his defiance in the face of Russia’s brutal invasion of his country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former KGB agent has a negative score of 85 points, thanks partly to Moscow’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian land and brutal military campaign there.
Putin’s favorability has sunk 13 points since 2018, and he’s ‘universally disliked’ by both Republicans and Democrats, Gallup says.
But even the Ukrainian leader’s popularity is skewed by partisan politics.
Three quarters of Democrats have a favorable view of Zelenskyy, compared to just over half of Republicans.
‘Republicans’ ambivalence toward Zelenskyy mirrors their views on the Russia-Ukraine war,’ researchers said.
About half of GOP voters are ‘wanting to see the conflict end quickly and the other half supporting Zelenskyy’s goal of fighting for complete victory.’
Prince William, and his father King Charles III, are characters on whom Republicans and Democrats agree.
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