They say there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. Soon both will be more popular than Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The former Duke of York, 66, has not been high up the UK popularity charts for some time, thanks to decades of gaffes and an ‘Air Miles Andy’ 30-year reputation for rudeness, arrogance and spending way too much time playing golf.
In April 2020 a YouGov poll placed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II firmly as our most popular royal, with a 78% approval rating among all age groups – Andrew scored just 17%. Six years later a new YouGov poll has just revealed things have got far worse Andrew, as only 3% of Brits now hold a positive view of him.
It’s a drop of Biblical proportions. King Herod had a bigger fanbase in ancient Judea.
We don’t need to go into why. The Epstein Files revelations, and Andrew’s subsequent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, have tarnished what was hardly the greatest profile anyway.
Andrew denies any criminal wrongdoing in that matter, but his lack of a moral compass by maintaining his friendship with financier Jeffrey Epstein after the US paedophile’s child sex conviction is alarming.
As they embark on their tour of Australia, Harry and Meghan remain unpopular – the study shows – with only 30% and 20%, respectively, of those asked having positive views of them.
But compared to Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would win a local by-election before the count was even over.
Meanwhile the most popular royals among the British public, somewhat alarmingly for the wider Royal Family, are two who are no longer with us.
The late Queen Elizabeth II continues to be the most popular royal four years after her death according to the poll conducted ahead of what would have been the late monarch’s 100th birthday, with an 81% approval rate.
Second was Princess Diana, with 77%. Her son Prince William clinches a very close third with 76%, while Princess Catherine was fourth with 75%.
King Charles comes in sixth place (60%), behind his younger sister Princess Anne on 70% in fifth.
It shows a rosy future for William and Catherine after navigating a sea of smears and cruel jibes from Harry and Meghan either in TV interviews or his bestselling book ‘Spare’.
But damningly for Andrew, as if he did not already have plenty of reasons to stay indoors, it proves once and for all that his days of sharing the stage with his brother the King in public are gone.
Nowadays, a wind turbine has more fans than Andrew.