Meghan Markle is the eighth most admired member of the royal family after Megxit

Meghan Markle is the eighth most admired member of the Royal Family, despite the controversy that has followed her and Prince Harry since ‘Megxit’ two years ago.

The Duchess of Sussex, 41, is well-liked by younger Brits, aged 18 to 25, a new survey conducted by The Sun has revealed. The survey, which polled 2,000 Brits, indicated she was the least-favoured royal among people over the age of 65.

Meghan, who was admired by 9 per cent of the poll, has more public support than her husband’s uncle Prince Edward and nephew Prince George.

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton were the most favoured royals, being admired by 23 and 20 per cent of survey-takers, respectively. 

Harry, 38, was more highly regarded than his wife and admired by 16 per cent of overall survey-takers. He is still not as popular as new King Charles and Princess Anne.

The Sussexes have been surrounded by controversy since they quit being working royals in 2020. The pair, who said they wanted a more private lifestyle, have received global backlash over allegations they’ve made in bombshell interviews about their short-time as a working royal couple.

Meghan, who was admired by 9 per cent of the poll, has more public support than her husband’s uncle Prince Edward and nephew Prince George

 Of the 2,000 people polled, 40 per cent said they would prefer if Meghan and Harry did not return as working royals

Of the 2,000 people polled, the majority of participants said they would prefer if Meghan and Harry kept out of royal affairs.

Forty per cent of surveyors indicated they did not want the couple to return as working royals. Thirty per cent voted they should resume royal duties and another 30 per cent said they didn’t know.

It is unclear what age demographic thought the Sussexes should be working royals, but the poll does indicate they are most well-liked among young Brits.

Harry was the most admired royal by surveyors aged 18 to 25. He had the most admired by 29 per cent of the younger demographic.

Meghan, admired by 19 per cent of young adults, was the second most-admired royal among that same age group.

She was least favoured by middle-aged and older Brits. The 65+ demographic gave her a 4 per cent rating, the lowest of the ten royals listed.

She was the seventh most-admired royal, at 10 percent, by surveyors aged 45 to 54.  

The Duchess did not even make the top 10 rankings among poll takers in the 25 to 44 demographic or the 55 to 64 group.

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton were the most favoured royals, being admired by 23 and 20 per cent of survey-takers, respectively. Harry was also more highly regarded than his wife. William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are pictured paying their respects to the Queen while her coffin lied in state at Westminster Hall on September 14

Harry and Meghan are most well-liked among young Brits. The Sussexes are pictured during a walkabout at Windsor Castle on September 10, following the Queen’s death

Kate Middleton was the most liked royal partner followed by Sophie and Meghan

The Princess of Wales was also deemed the best dressed member of the Royal Family

Meghan’s seemingly poor favour could be tied to the seemingly outlandish claims she makes in interviews.

Most recently, The Times revealed that Meghan believed she would be the ‘Beyoncé of the UK’ when she married Harry.

The newspaper, in a report published Sunday, attributed the bombshell claim to Valentine Low’s forthcoming book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown. 

Royal insiders have claimed the Duchess believed that she would become Britain’s Beyoncé upon marrying the Queen’s grandson – but was disillusioned by the strict protocols and rules of life as a working member of the royal family and felt increasingly ‘cornered and misunderstood’ by The Firm.

The book also ran allegations that the Queen was forced to put her foot down over Megxit and told the Sussexes they were ‘either in or out’ at the crunch Sandringham summit where the royals decided Harry and Meghan’s future.

The Duchess of Sussex, 41, is well-liked by people aged 18 to 25, the survey revealed. She is pictured taking a selfie with a fan outside a town hall on September 6 during an Invictus Games 2023 event in Dusseldorf, Germany

Meghan Markle thought that she would be the Beyoncé of the UK when she married Prince Harry, a bombshell new book has claimed. Pictured, the Sussexes meeting Beyonce and Jay-Z (R) on July 14, 2019 

The Duchess of Sussex gave a bombshell interview to The Cut – part of New York magazine – in which it was claimed that she and Harry ‘were upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy’. Pictured: The front page of The Cut

The latest accusation follows Meghan’s controversial interview with The Cut last month where she claimed that ‘just by existing’ she and Harry were ‘upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy’ before they stepped down as senior working royals.

In that same publication, Meghan said it takes ‘a lot of effort’ to forgive and hinted that she can ‘say anything’, in what was seen by some as a thinly-veiled threat to the Royal Family. 

She also said she had been compared to South African hero Nelson Mandela when she married Harry. 

She alleged a South African cast member of the 2019 film The Lion King told her ‘they rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison.’ 

The Duchess did not name the cast member. However, an actor who says he’s the only South African in live action Disney film claimed he actually never met Meghan. 

Additionally, The Cut interview saw Meghan claimed Harry had ‘lost’ his father, King Charles III, during Megxit. 

Meghan told the magazine: ‘Harry said to me, ‘I lost my dad in this process.’ It doesn’t have to be the same for them as it was for me, but that’s his decision.’

Allies of the couple later clarified that the duchess had actually been referring to the breakdown of her relationship with her own father.

Meghan’s unofficial spokesman Omid Scobie wrote on social media: ‘I understand that Prince Harry is actually referring to Meghan’s loss of her own father, and Meghan is saying she doesn’t want Harry to lose his.’