Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s popularity in America has sunk to an all-time low, according to a new poll.
The royal couple have barely been away from the headlines over the past two months, following the release of their Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoirs, Spare.
But if the pair had been hoping the media blitz would see their popularity surge to new highs as they settle to life in the US, the Newsweek poll tells a very different story.
Harry and Meghan’s popularity Stateside had already taken a hit after Spare was released but the latest figures show that their favourability continues to dive.
The research, conducted by Redfield & Wilton on 19 February, showed that Harry was disliked by 42% of Americans, compared to 32% who said they liked him.
The net approval rating of -10 is a drop of three points from one month ago – and a staggering 48% lower than in December, when his net approval stood at +38.
Meghan is even less popular than her husband, with just 27% of Americans saying they liked her, compared to 44% who said they didn’t – giving her a net approval rating of -17.
This is a drop of four points from one month ago, and of 40 points from the start of December last year, when she had a +23 approval rating.
The Newsweek figures will make grim reading for Harry and Meghan, who last week became the latest target of mocking by US cartoon series South Park.
The episode, entitled The Worldwide Privacy Tour, depicts the ‘Prince of Canada’ attempting to escape the limelight with his princess, all the while writing a book call Waaagh and appearing on chat shows.
The episode mocks the couple for demanding their privacy and being hypocritical because of their dislike of journalists.
South Park has previously mocked other royals – most notably Prince William and Kate for their wedding in 2011, while the late Queen was also the target of the show’s creators in 2007.
Meghan and Harry were reportedly considering suing the makers of South Park for the latest episode but a spokesperson for the couple said the reports were “baseless and boring”.
However, the spokesperson would not comment on claims made by the Spectator magazine that Meghan was “upset and overwhelmed” at how she and Harry were depicted in South Park.
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