Prince William is now as popular as the Queen, according to poll
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Prince William is at least as popular as his grandmother the Queen, according to a poll by YouGov.
The Duke of Cambridge, 38, rarely overtakes the women of the Royal Family in the popularity stakes, with his wife Kate often being named as more liked than him.
But he has topped one poll on the YouGov website and earned a 75% approval rating. While the Queen is on 73%.
He’s also the most famous royal currently, with 99% of people having heard of him.
The ratings show William was the most popular royal in the period from October to December 2020. But he shouldn’t rest on his laurels - the figures are essentially too close to call as they are within the margin of error.
In a different survey released by YouGov in October 2020, the Queen and William were equal on their net scores, showing 79%.
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William has focussed his efforts recently on the environment and mental health, both issues which might be helping his popularity.
He has worked with professional footballers to encourage more men to talk about their mental health, and has roped in the likes of Sir David Attenborough and Shakira for his Earthshot Prize project.
The Queen is a very close second in the current rankings, with a 73% approval rating. She’s more popular with women and Generation X. She’s also equally as well-known as her grandson as 99% of people have heard of her.
The 94-year-old, who marked 69 years on the throne on 6 February, has sought to remain visible during the lockdown, making several broadcasts to Britain and the Commonwealth and also taking part in online engagements on video calls.
William’s wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, is third on the current rankings, with a 67% approval rating. She has a slightly lower fame rating with 92% of people having heard of her.
She’s most popular with baby boomers and 80% of women like her, according to YouGov.
Princess Anne made it into the top five, beating her father to rank as the fourth most popular royal - a good feat as she’s the 10th most famous.
The hard working royal is not as public facing as other family members, but frequently carries out the most engagements.
Despite retiring in 2017, Prince Philip is named as the fifth most popular royal.
Read more: Prince William says young people are 'shining lights' in environmental battle
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has slipped out of the top 10 most popular royals, but remains one of the most famous.
She ranks at number 11 on the poll, with an approval rating of 32%.
But when the statistics are flipped to show how famous a royal is, she rockets up to fifth position. Her husband, Prince Harry, is the eighth most popular royal and fourth most famous.
The couple live in the US now, where they are making plans for their non-profit organisation Archewell.
William’s popularity has climbed as his brother’s has fallen.
Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall is the sixth most popular royal, despite being only the 11th most famous.
Heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles is currently the seventh most popular royal, with his approval rating at 47%.
His wife, Camilla, is further down at ninth, despite the success of her Instagram book club, the Reading Room.
Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, is three places above her husband Prince Edward and rounds off the top 10. She has been increasingly visible since the pandemic struck, volunteering with organisations close to her home Bagshot Park and carrying out royal engagements online.
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