The King’s younger brother has become the royal family’s most successful rising star
© UK Press via Getty ImagesThe Duke of Edinburgh shuffled down a rung in the line of succession last week as he was outranked by Princess Eugenie’s newborn baby, but behind the scenes he is the royal family’s most successful rising star.
This is not hyperbole. Prince Edward’s popularity has risen twice as far as any other family member since the public were first asked about him in 2019.
Back then, the British public were unconvinced. 35% expressed a positive opinion about him while 32% were negative, giving him an overall “net positivity” score of +3. For comparison, this is roughly the level that Queen Camilla gets.
It’s not clear why so many people thought ill of him. It was about the same level of dislikes that people felt about Charles, then Prince of Wales, and Meghan, but for a man with a much lower profile.
Perhaps his low profile made people assume that he wasn’t working very hard. This would have been unfair, as he performed more engagements than Queen Elizabeth II that year and was beaten only by the stakhanovites Charles and Princess Anne.
Maybe he was still tarnished by his record in the 1980s, when he failed to complete his military training as a Royal Marines commando and made a move into television by persuading his family members to take part in the toe-curling televised contest The Grand Knockout Tournament.
© Getty ImagesThe start of Edward’s popularity streak
Opinion began to turn in his favour in March 2021, when he visited his ailing father in hospital and gave updates on Prince Philip’s health. A death always generates public sympathy for every family member but usually the change is temporary.
For Edward, it was different. Those who disliked him crossed over into liking him and stayed there. His net positivity increased by 20 points for each of his parents’ deaths as he took on visible roles, such as his appearances during the Platinum Jubilee and his vigil by his mother’s coffin in the Palace of Westminster.
© Getty ImagesIndeed, the more the public saw of him, the more they liked him. While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attracted criticism for stepping back from royal duties – their biggest fall in popularity came after the announcement commonly known as Megxit – Edward stepped up.
He received another boost in 2023, when he received his late father’s title on his 59th birthday.
Overall, his popularity has increased 32 points since polling began for him, double the 16 points gained by Anne and Charles over the same period.
Two particular victories stand out.
First, he has won over sceptical women. Edward has always had more admirers than detractors among men, but for women he was net negative. Now, both men and women are firmly positive.
Second, he converted Scots, traditionally the most sceptical about any member of the royal family. In 2019, Scots, the Welsh and Londoners were all net negative but switched in 2021. All parts of the UK are now firmly in favour of Edward.
A ‘brilliant rock’ by Edward’s side – his wife Sophie
Although Anne remains comfortably ahead of Edward in the public mind, it is his emulation of her steady work ethic that people seem to like and the gap between them is slowly narrowing.
© Getty ImagesFor Edward and his wife Sophie, there is no strategy behind their rise. Sophie said in 2021 that their attitude to work had remained constant over the previous 20 years. “We’ve plodded along doing what we’re doing, hopefully doing it well.”
When asked to respond to the idea that she and Edward were pulling more weight since Andrew, Harry and Meghan stepped back, she replied: “What did people think we were doing beforehand?”
Edward is adamant that he would not be the man he is without his wife, whom he married in 1999. “[The Duchess of Edinburgh is] critical, absolutely critical,” he said in an interview to mark his 60th birthday in 2024. “She’s been an absolutely brilliant rock and I’m incredibly lucky that I found Sophie and that she found me. Hopefully we’ve been a really brilliant partnership.”
