The public sentiment toward Prince Harry and Meghan Markle underwent a noticeable shift following the release of Prince Harry’s memoir The Reserve, with data suggesting a clear fall in favorability in the United States. A major media outlet summarized these changes, attributing them to the characters and revelations featured in the memoir and subsequent media appearances. The analysis points to a significant drop in positive perception, indicating a move from relatively high approval to more cautious or negative assessments among American audiences.
Specifically, the polling data shows Prince Harry’s favorability dropping by a substantial margin in a relatively short period. By December of the previous year he stood at a comparatively positive level, but by January the same year the score had fallen deeply into negative territory. Meghan Markle experienced a parallel trend, with a sharp decline in favorable opinions during the same window, moving from a favorable position to levels that reflected mounting skepticism or disapproval among respondents.
In the broader context, other members of the royal circle appear in the polling as well, with varying degrees of recognition and favorability. The contrasts among different royal figures offer insight into how media coverage and personal disclosures can influence audience attitudes across time and across media platforms.
The trend toward lower approval for Harry and Meghan was linked in part to a series of high-visibility statements given in television interviews and to the content of the memoir itself. Analysts and commentators noted that the public response may reflect reactions to the narrative choices, the tone of the revelations, and the overall portrayal of the couple within the published material and during media appearances. The results illustrate how quickly public opinion can shift in response to new information and how sustained engagement with the couple’s public narrative can shape perceptions over weeks and months.
Ultimately, the observed changes in the ratings underscore the ongoing dynamics of celebrity influence, media storytelling, and audience interpretation. They highlight how individual acts of communication—whether through an interview, a documentary, or a memoir—can recalibrate a public image and influence how supporters and critics respond in subsequent polls. The data suggests that audiences weigh the credibility, consistency, and emotional resonance of the narratives presented, as well as the perceived impact of these personal disclosures on broader social conversations about monarchy, media power, and public service.