Why Kate Middleton is still more popular than Meghan Markle

From the moment Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed their romance, the Markle effect has well and truly been in force.

Suddenly the world wanted to know all about the former Suits actress, from what she wore to her favourite foods.

The couple’s royal wedding in May only heightened this and ahead of their first tour of Australia, they announced they’re expecting their first child in spring 2019.

Having charmed overseas, it seemed surprising that Meghan ranks as the sixth most popular member of the royal family in a YouGov survey – behind husband Harry, the Queen, William and Kate and the Duke of Edinburgh.

55 per cent of people polled said they like the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan is more popular with women than men, and is seen as attractive, beautiful, confident, charming and charismatic, so why does she not rank higher?

“I think that she’s not particularly seen as a warm person and she’s a very polished actress,” royal author Robert Jobson tells Yahoo UK‘s The Royal Box.

He adds: “She’s not necessarily seen as warm as Harry, who’s a very natural character or his brother.

“Also she’s a newcomer to the scene and people that get involved in these polls, I would have thought that they would say ‘well we’ll wait and see.’

“She’s an outsider, she’s American, she’s an actress, maybe she’s not as popular, clearly not.”

Showbiz & Royal Editor of OK! magazine Chrissie Reeves thinks Meghan still has a lot to prove within her role as a member of the royal family.

“She promised a lot when she took on that role as Harry’s wife,” she says. “She’s got so many charities she’s fond of and I think what she’s got to do now is deliver maybe a little bit more.”

Meghan has seemingly thrown herself into her role, announcing her first solo project within months of married life and has already given four speeches, touching on women’s equality, female empowerment and education for girls.

Her sister-in-law Kate is seemingly less confident when it comes to public speaking, but she’s well established within the royal fold. She met Prince William at university in 2001 and 10 years later the pair were married at Westminster Abbey.

The Duchess of Cambridge has played a key role in establishing The Royal Foundation alongside William and Harry, particularly with her work on early years intervention and mental health. And it seems her role as a mother-of-three to George, Charlotte and Louis has made her popular with the public.

PR expert Nick Ede believes that motherhood has softened Kate and once Meghan gives birth to her first child next spring, that will help her too.

“We’ve seen Kate as this gorgeous mother, who is still doing royal duties, but also being a very doting parent,” he says.

Here is the full list of the UK’s most popular royals:

1. Prince Harry

2. The Queen

3. Prince William

4. Kate, Duchess of Cambridge

5. Prince Philip

6. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

7. Prince Charles

8. Princess Anne

9. Zara Phillips

10. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

11. Sophie, Countess of Wessex

12. Prince Edward

13. Princess Beatrice of York

14. Princess Eugenie of York

15. Prince Andrew

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