When the Duke of Sussex put down roots in America, he no doubt wanted to capture the hearts of those in his new country.
But it is his older brother, the Prince of Wales, 42, that appears to be better connected with those across the pond.
William’s popularity is so potent that he’s polled much higher among Americans than the country’s own heavyweight public figures, despite the country having their own British prince on home soil.
Analytics firm Gallup asked US voters what they thought about 15 big names on the world stage in 2023, and the heir to the British throne came top, beating homegrown notables President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump.
It’s not just members of the public that have taken a liking to William, but also the pop sensation Taylor Swift, 34, and her American football tight end boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also 34.
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The Prince of Wales (pictured during his trip to New York in 2023) has polled better among Americans than the country’s own heavyweight public figures
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Taylor Swift smiled for a selfie with Prince William, Prince G
Gallup acknowledged the ‘surprise’ of an English prince beating the ‘nation’s own democratically elected and appointed leaders’ in their own backyard.
After all, the group said in a statement, Americans waged a war of independence nearly 250 years ago to escape the ‘tyranny of the British crown. ‘It could be the latest sign of how deeply polarized American society has become, they added.
‘The US may need to look beyond its borders to find public figures that a majority of Americans feel good about,’ said the statement. At home, it’s difficult to find somebody who ‘Republicans and Democrats can agree on,’ it added.
The polling group asked more than 1,000 adults nationwide whether they had favourable or unfavourable views of the 15 newsmakers.
The difference between those two percentage scores is their favorability rating. Fully 59 percent of respondents described William favorably, and 22 percent unfavorably. That puts the prince 37 percentage points above water.
Trump, Biden, his Vice President Kamala Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence are all underwater by more than 14 points. The only Americans who pass the favorability test are First Lady Jill Biden and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
That same year, a poll conducted by Newsweek found that almost half Americans believe the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be stripped of their royal titles.
The poll, conducted in January 2023, found that 45 per cent of Americans are in favour of Harry and Meghan losing their royal titles, while 26 per cent opposed to the idea, and 28 per cent said they are unsure.
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Harry has received a frostier welcome from the US, with South Park mocking him in a 2023 episode
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Travis and his brother Jason Kelce gushed about Prince William, saying he was ‘the coolest motherf*****’
William’s rankings were no doubt a result of the success of his tour of the Big Apple in September 2023 to promote his Earthshot Prize, as William was met by hundreds of adoring fans as he toured the States.
The two-day trip saw the heir to the throne making an emotional visit to a New York firehouse, and even cracking jokes with a ‘rowdy’ bunch of 60-year-olds after his run through Central Park.
And according to Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl, the prince and his aides consider the trip ‘really successful’, making the father-of-three ‘quietly delighted’ of his warm reception from the city.
On the other hand, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be putting off Americans with their ‘endless moans’ and ‘attacks’ on the Royal Family, a royal expert has claimed.
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex dramatically moved across the pond after quitting as senior royals and leaving Britain in January 2020, the couple have starred in a Netflix docuseries, launched a controversial new website, released a book and held explosive interviews about the Royal Family.
In a bid to branch out to the celebrity world, the Sussexes are often seen making appearances at glitzy events, including the ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ premiere in Jamaica in January.
But they were branded ‘insensitive’ for posing on the red carpet with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who wants to ditch the monarchy.
Last month, Harry said King Charles’s cancer diagnosis could have a ‘reunifying effect’ on the family. He made a transatlantic dash to see his father at Clarence House on February 6 but they only met for around 45 minutes.
There had been reports that Harry was willing to return to a temporary royal role to help out the slimmed down monarchy, with Princess Kate also recovering from abdominal surgery. But palace aides later said there was ‘no way back’ for Harry.
Speaking about Harry and Meghan’s time since leaving Britain, royal author Angela Levin said even Americans are getting fed up with the couple’s ‘hypocrisy’ and whinging.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are putting off Americans with their ‘endless moans’ and ‘attacks’ on the Royal Family , a royal expert has claimed
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dramatically moved across the pond after quitting as senior royals and leaving Britain in January 2020. Harry and Meghan are pictured with Charles and Camilla in 2018
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Prince Harry and Meghan are pictured on their trip to Vancouver in February ahead of the Invictus Games
She told The Sun: ‘I think endless moaning puts off Americans because they like people who are go-getters rather than those who blame everyone else.
‘They also don’t like the attacks on the Royal Family especially as they so loved and admired the Queen.’
Their unpopularity was made clear when they were mocked and humiliated in an episode of South Park last year.
The satirical cartoon launched a series of attacks against the couple in an episode of the show, which was entitled The Worldwide Privacy Tour and depicted the couple embarking on a publicity blitz to promote the Prince’s new book, Waaagh.
At one point, they were seen stepping off the plane holding signs which said ‘we want our privacy’ and ‘stop looking at us’.
After the show aired, reports surfaced suggesting that Meghan had been left ‘upset and overwhelmed’ by the couple’s less-than-flattering portrayal.
Ms Levin added: ‘Nor do [Americans] like their hypocrisy as seen in South Park – they say they want privacy but they keep appearing at Z-Level awards just to get their pictures.
‘By wanting revenge they have thrown their changes down the drain. With no coming back.’
Although the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals in January 2020, Harry is still a prince and is fifth in line to the throne. The couple kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles but are no longer addressed as his or her royal highness (HRH).
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Their unpopularity was made clear when they were mocked and humiliated in an episode of South Park last year
On the flipside, it’s not just the general public that have taking a liking to William, and Taylor Swift posed for a selfie with William, George, and Charlotte, along with Travis Kelce before the royal broke out his best dad dancing to Shake It Off at Wembley Stadium.
The Prince and Princess of Wales‘s official X account posted the adorable photo with the caption: ‘Thank you Taylor Swift for a great evening!’
Soon after, the popstar posted a selfie with the royals and her boyfriend Kelce to say: ‘Happy birthday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start’ in a touching message to the heir for his 42nd birthday.
William impressed the American duo so much that Travis later dubbed him ‘the coolest motherf****’ in the latest episode of his New Heights podcast, with his brother, Jason Kelce.
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Prince William of Wales and Catherine Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, are pictured in London, 2023
Travis detailed the experience and raved about the Prince’s humility. ‘We met royalty, guys,’ Travis said. ‘There was royalty at the show. I got there early and got to meet Prince William. How bout that? Your Royal Highness.
‘Dude, he was the coolest motherf*****,’ he added. ‘He was so cool.’ Jason echoed his brother’s sentiments: ‘He was awesome’. He added: ‘He was a good dude.’
Jason and Travis also laughed about not knowing the proper etiquette upon meeting the royals. Travis then quipped on the difference in formality between the UK and the United States.
‘He was there with little George and Charlotte, and they were an absolute delight to meet,’ said Travis. ‘I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to bow to them – courtesy [or] just be an American idiot and shake their hand. [Or say:] ‘Sup dude?”
‘We wanted to be polite, especially on this side of the pond,’ he continued.
‘We did get a warning because, honestly, we don’t know the actual [etiquette],’ Jason said in response.
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Despite sending a personal letter herself, Meghan Markle’s (pictured) request for Taylor Swift to join her on her Archtypes podcast was declined
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Taylor Swift (pictured at the Grammy Awards last year) reportedly turned down the invitation to join Meghan on her podcast
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Spotify confirmed in June last year that the podcast would not be continued for a second series
‘Because we weren’t at an elegant, official royal event, we didn’t have to bow,’ the former Philadelphia Eagles center shared. ‘If it would’ve been an official meeting-of-royalty event, then it would have been that.’
It was a reception notably different to the one Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, received when the singer declined to appear on her podcast, despite receiving a ‘personal letter’ from the Duchess, it was claimed.
The pop singer was asked by Meghan herself to appear on Archetypes, but she declined through her representative, the Wall Street Journal reported.
It comes as the newspaper summed up Harry and Meghan’s dealings with Netflix as ‘big ideas, subpar execution’ after executives of the streaming giant and Spotify reportedly said they were ‘underwhelmed’ by the pair’s lack of strong ideas and productivity.
Since quitting their royal duties in 2020 and jetting off to California to live in their new $14million nine-bedroom mansion, the couple have been building a complex network of ‘entertainment’ companies to help promote ‘their truth’.
