Sorry, Kate Middleton!: Survey Lifts The Lid On The UK's Real Favorite Royal

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Move over, Princess Catherine and Prince William: Britons have a new favorite royal. YouGov polls for the third quarter of 2026 show that Princess Anne is the most popular senior working royal, breaking the Waleses' streak. Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter is popular among 67% of the nation, with only 7% harboring dislike for her. Catherine comes in second, with 64% of Britons holding a favorable view of her versus 8% dislike. William comes in third with a popularity of 62% versus a 12% dislike rate. 

However, when we look at the numbers throughout the year, we see that Anne's popularity has stayed fairly stable. In the YouGov July 2026 report, Anne enjoyed a 70% popularity rate. While her popularity has decreased slightly, Catherine and William have experienced a considerable dip. In July 2026, William topped the list with a 76% approval rate, while Catherine came in second with 74%, showing the royal couple lost 10 or more percentage points in a matter of months, whereas Anne has essentially maintained her popularity.

While it's hard to pinpoint the exact causes, there is evidence to suggest that Britons are growing tired of Prince Harry and William's ongoing feud, which gained renewed attention following Harry and Meghan Markle's return to the U.K. in August. "This cannot continue. Two grown men avoiding each other is making them both look petty and foolish. Their feud has become a national joke," a royal source told Rob Shutter in October. Amid the negative attention, Anne has shown up as the steady royal presence she always has been.

This isn't the first time Princess Anne has overtaken Princess Catherine and Prince William in the YouGov polls. Because her favorable rates are always so stable, she sometimes snags the top spot whenever Catherine and William find themselves embroiled in negative press. She did so in January 2023, when Prince Harry's memoir, "Spare," led to a whole lot of royal drama. At the time, she had a popularity rate of 72%, just above William's 70% and Catherine's 68%, according to YouGov.

Despite the fluctuations, William and Catherine have maintained a pretty strong favorability among Britons. But Anne has proved to be the most stable force within the royal family. Considered by many to be the hardest-working royal, Anne has gained popularity based on her work ethics and stability. "Is The Princess Royal (Anne) the only Royal who actually gets off her a*se? I appreciate it still isn't the sort of hard work us mere mortals do. She is however the only one I consistently see doing stuff," a Reddit user noted in 2025.

Her consistency has kept her at the top for a pretty long time. A 1995 poll showed Britons would prefer to see Anne succeed Queen Elizabeth II rather than King Charles III. Of course, Charles was amid his tumultuous split from Princess Diana back then, which severely affected his popularity. But it only goes to show that Anne often rises to the occasion whenever the royal family faces personal crises. William and Catherine will likely recover their spot at the top of the popularity list, but Anne's steadfast loyalty and work ethics will always keep her close enough.