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Once considered the ultimate power couple, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seen their public standing plummet over the past few years. While both have taken hits, Meghan Markle's numbers have dropped the most. The criticism has been relentless, her reputation increasingly questioned, but outwardly, she remains all smiles, carrying on with life as usual.
Meghan's popularity at it's lowest
The recent YouGov’s 'Royal Family Favourability Trackers' (August 2025) shows big differences in how the public views the royal family. Prince William is the most popular with 74 percent positive ratings, followed by Kate Middleton at 71 percent and Princess Anne at 70 percent. Prince Harry has only 28 percent positive ratings, and Meghan Markle fares even worse with 20 percent, just above Prince Andrew’s five percent. Overall the monarchy’s senior members remain well liked while some of the younger and more controversial figures struggle with public opinion.
A milestone birthday amid low public perception
Despite lacklustre poll numbers and ongoing criticism, Meghan appeared unfazed, marking her 44th birthday with radiant smiles and an air of confidence, proving she remains undeterred in the face of public scrutiny.
Details were scarce at press time, but it was widely assumed she’d celebrate quietly at home in California, surrounded by her closest circle, Prince Harry, rumors of a rift between them fizzled months ago, their children Archie (6) and Lilibet (4), her mother, and her closest friends.
By contrast, on Harry’s milestone 40th birthday last September, the British royal family publicly wished him well. Meghan, however, hasn’t received so much as an official acknowledgement in years, underscoring just how far she’s drifted from the Windsors. For the Firm, entrenched in its long-running feud, the strategy has been to keep calm and carry on.
Now, after a series of behind-closed-doors meetings, royal watchers are speculating, could Harry be headed for a reconciliation? Some royal experts claim the prince is “desperate” to repair his relationship with father, King Charles III, whom he hasn’t seen since February 2024.
And his recent trip to Angola, a return to a place he last visited in 2019, was seen by some British media outlets as a symbolic step toward healing old wounds.
For Meghan, the birthday was bittersweet. On the one hand, she’s surrounded by love from her inner circle. On the other hand, the celebration was clouded by reports that Netflix will not be renewing their deal in September, citing underwhelming performance of their content.
While the news hasn’t been confirmed, all signs point toward the couple shifting to one-off projects instead of multi-year contracts. Still, there’s one bright spot, Netflix remains a partner for As Ever, Meghan’s lifestyle brand, a venture that shows real promise. Her products tend to sell out within hours, and the line continues to expand.