A new poll has named Kate Middleton as the most popular member of the royal family. The popularity of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has seen a big boost amid the coronavirus pandemic, but not everyone agrees with the latest survey. Sources say Meghan Markle’s friends don’t believe the results are accurate and argue that the Duchess of Sussex is actually the most popular royalty.
Inside Kate Middleton’s popularity boost
When the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring, most of the high-ranking members of the royal family came out of the limelight. After canceling her public engagements, for example, Queen Elizabeth retired to Windsor Castle while Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles ducked down in Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth and Charles issued statements during the pandemic, but they were largely kept secret as the country grappled with the shutdown.
Kate and her husband, Prince William, however, remained in the public eye. Although the couple were isolating themselves at their country house, Anmer Hall, they participated in numerous virtual engagements and frequently updated fans on social media.
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Between their meetings and social media activity, Kate and William quickly became the faces of the royal family. The added attention has paid huge dividends for Kate, who is now one of the most popular members of the royal family.
According to Express, a new poll gave Kate top spot as the most popular royalty. More than 4,000 people participated in the poll, and Kate narrowly beat Queen Elizabeth, who came in second with just under 1,000 votes.
William ranked third in the poll, followed by Prince Harry, Princess Anne, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who took sixth place.
Meghan Markle’s friends deny the poll results
Although Kate made it to the top of the recent poll, Meghan fans were unhappy with the results. On Twitter, many of the Duchess’s most loyal fans voiced disapproval of the poll, with some commenting on a segment of Good morning great britain which featured real expert Russel Myers.
In the segment, Myers praised Kate for her work during the pandemic, especially when it came to talking about her home school problems. But not everyone agreed with her assessment of the most popular real.
“No way! Definitely Meghan,” wrote one fan, while another added, “Meghan Markle has never been # 1 since joining the Royal Family.”
Like Kate, Meghan has not shied away from attention in recent months. A few weeks ago, the Duchess of Sussex spoke at her old high school graduation ceremony and addressed some difficult issues like inequality, police brutality, and racial tensions.
That said, Meghan is no longer a member of the royal family, which explains why she didn’t rank first on the list. Meghan and Harry’s departure from the monarchy was made official in late March and the two are now beginning their new life in Los Angeles.
Meghan may have come out of the real limelight, but she clearly still has a loyal following.
Kate Middleton and Prince William had this advantage over the Sussex
As fans continue to debate the popularity of Kate and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed an edge over the Sussexs that has carried them through the years.
As royal observers know, Kate and William met when they were attending St. Andrews University in the early 2000s. The two started out as friends and dated for almost a decade before getting married in 2011.
The years that passed as friends built a solid foundation. According to Express, William and Kate discussed this in a 2010 interview and admitted that it gave them a “massive advantage.”
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“We ended up being friends for a while and that was a good base,” shared William. “Because I generally believe now that being friends with each other is a huge advantage.”
Meghan and Harry, of course, experienced a different path to marriage. The two only dated for about a year before getting engaged. Despite their quick romance, Harry later confessed that “everything was perfect”.
Kate has not commented on the latest poll that calls her the most popular royalty.