According to a new YouGov Ratings poll, Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have a tough job ahead – with just 48 per cent and 29 per cent respectively, having positive opinions about the pair.
Charles sat behind Prince Harry, the Queen, Prince William, Kate, Prince Philip and Duchess Meghan to place seventh on the list of most popular royals, with Camilla featuring behind Princess Anne and Zara Tindall to be 10th on the list.
Pollsters found 20 percent of Britons asked have a negative opinion of Prince Charles and 36 percent have a negative opinion of Camilla.
Anti-monarchy group, Republic, said the Prince of Wales’ publicity team was having to work tirelessly to change public perception after his regular controversial statements on political topics.
A spokesman said: “The royal PR machine is facing a crisis as Charles prepares to take the throne.
“Charles has routinely abused his position of power, privately lobbying Cabinet ministers and influencing Government policy with his own political agenda.
“It’s unsurprising that royals are rushing to change Charles’ public image as he prepares to become king, but does he really expect us to believe he won’t capitalise on all the powers he’s about to inherit?
“King Charles is just around the corner and we should be having a wide-ranging national debate about our country’s future, not a coronation by default.”
Speaking on BBC documentary Prince, Son and Heir, Charles at 70, Prince Charles said: “If it’s meddling to worry about the inner cities as I did 40 years ago, then if that’s meddling I’m proud of it.
“I think it’s vital to remember there’s only room for one sovereign at a time, not two.
“So, you can’t be the same as the sovereign if you’re the Prince of Wales or the heir.
“But the idea, somehow, that I’m going to go on in exactly the same way, if I have to succeed, is complete nonsense because the two – the two situations – are completely different.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
