Prince Harry hasn't been a working royal since 2020, but his popularity with the British public has been on a downward spiral since 2017, when he became engaged to Meghan Markle.
The Duke is unlikely to have endeared himself to many following his recent loss in a court case against Associated Newspapers Limited, whose titles include the Daily Mail, and he now faces expected costs in the millions.
However, there was a small glimmer of sunshine for the estranged royal, as his popularity has been increasing among the British population since last year. YouGov's poll tracker saw his popularity increase by six points, although most Brits still have a negative opinion of him.
33% of respondents now have a positive opinion of Harry, compared to 27% from last year, and negative opinions on the Duke have come down from 62% to 58%. Meghan Markle has also seen a small increase in popularity, rising three percentage points to 22% of the British population having a favourable opinion of her.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor unsurprisingly remains the least popular royal of the bunch, with only 2% of the British public holding a favourable opinion of him.
Support for the monarchy on the whole has remained fairly level throughout King Charles' reign, with close to two-thirds in favour of retaining the royal family.
Why is Prince Harry becoming more popular?
HELLO!'s royal contributor Tracy Schaverien says: "It's encouraging to see Harry starting to win back the hearts of the British public. A few years ago, he was one of the most popular members of the royal family, ranking alongside William and Kate, but his approval ratings have nosedived amid the rift with his father and his brother.
"The fact that we have seen a small uptick in his ratings could well be connected to the fact he has been making an effort to build bridges with his father. Taking Meghan and the children to visit the King and Queen at Highgrove proved that Harry is serious about reconciling with his family. Meanwhile, Meghan's Instagram posts showing Harry playing with Archie and Lilibet on the beach and in the pool while the family were on holiday in Portugal are also likely to have warmed hearts and helped people view him as a loving father, rather than someone at war with his family."
In 2024, Harry flew back to the UK to have a face-to-face meeting with King Charles after the monarch revealed his cancer diagnosis. The pair would meet again in September 2025 when Harry briefly returned to the country.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the King had a private tea with the Duke at Clarence House, with Harry leaving the King's home at 18:14, nearly an hour after he had arrived.
© Instagram / @meghanThe pair also reunited earlier this month during Harry's return to the UK to mark the one-year countdown to the next Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham. On this occasion, the King was joined by Queen Camilla, while Harry brought his wife Meghan, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The meeting marked the first time that the King had seen his grandchildren face-to-face since they joined their parents at the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, which were held in June 2022.
© GettyThe Duke of Sussex has spoken openly and publicly about his hopes to reunite with his family, most notably in a BBC interview in May 2025. During the candid chat, Prince Harry revealed that his father was no longer speaking to him, mainly because of the ongoing row over his security arrangements.
The father-of-two spoke of his hopes to reconcile with the family, sharing: "I would love reconciliation with my family; there's no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has, he won't speak to me because of this security stuff."
© Getty ImagesHarry is next due to return to the UK in September for his WellChild Awards, and The Sun has reported that Charles has offered his son to stay at Buckingham Palace during his return. The Duke was initially hoping to stay in the London residence during his time in the country, but negotiations fell apart at the last minute, prompting him to stay in private residences for the duration of his stay.
