Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's popularity sinks as Princess Kate rises above royal row

Public support for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is still sinking fast in Britain and the US in the wake of the bombshell royal book Endgame, according to a string of new opinion polls.

One of these shows that Kate, Princess of Wales, is now more than twice as popular as the Duchess of Sussex in America, with sales of author Omid Scobie’s book collapsing on both sides of the Atlantic.

US pollster James Johnson, from JL Partners, said: “Kate is the people’s princess. That’s the verdict of the American public. The Princess of Wales is their top-rated royal and they vastly prefer her to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.”

The poll, for an international media group, shows Kate as the runaway favorite with a 44 percent positivity score, followed by her husband Prince William at 36 percent, Prince Harry at 28 percent and Meghan trailing last at just 21 percent.

At the same time, an exclusive Sunday Express poll today unequivocally proves the British public demands to know where the Sussexes stand on Scobie’s book. The UK paper asked: Should Meghan and Harry denounce Endgame? A massive 99 percent said yes, with just one percent answering no.

This comes as Harry and Meghan also face increasing pressure in America to condemn Endgame, which mocks The Princess of Wales as a “sometimes Stepford-like royal wife” and cruelly dubs her “Katie Keen” for her “pliable” and “coachable” approach to duty.

READ MORE: Meghan and Harry slammed for Royal Family 'spin' over visiting UK

Dutch copies of the book by Scobie – nicknamed “Meghan’s mouthpiece” by some US media outlets – have also “inadvertently” named two alleged “royal racists” who Harry and Meghan claim “raised concerns” about the skin color of their son Archie before he was born.

An online poll here at Daily Express US asked the simple question: Should Harry and Meghan slam the new royal book? An overwhelming 74 percent – almost three-quarters – voted yes with the remaining 26 percent saying no.

The fallout from the book has not only deepened the divide between Harry and his family – with King Charles considering “all options” with aides – but could also completely derail Meghan’s hoped-for Hollywood relaunch, it is claimed.

British brand and culture PR expert Nick Ede believes her new image-makers at power agency WME may now find her “too hot to handle” and says silence from the Sussexes since Endgame was published makes Meghan look “guilty by association.”

He added: “The issue for a huge Hollywood agent is that they will find it hard to navigate the career of Meghan fearing more will come out over time and that – with court cases looming from her sister and potentially her father – she has tarnished her reputation and could potentially damage the reputation of her agency.

“Meghan, in the right hands, is a superpower – the world’s most famous woman, and on paper she could make millions for herself and for whomever represents her. But she’s proving to be too hot to handle and, even though she hasn’t said anything about the book, she is guilty by association and this is damaging for her and others as she plots her next career move.”

A senior Hollywood production source with close ties to WME said yesterday: “There’s absolutely no suggestion – yet – that there will be a parting of the ways. But one thing has become crystal clear.

“Whether or not Meghan was the source of a single word in Endgame, the fact is that its contents have backfired enormously on her and Harry. Quite aside from their family issues, the public perception of them both has taken another big hit, resulting in a further loss of popularity and making it much harder to market her.

“The constant worry has to be: What will the next scandal be? And where will it come from? The controversy surrounding the Sussexes seems never-ending and a lot more dirty linen could be washed in public if her family court cases go ahead.

“All this makes it difficult – and at times nigh impossible – for her handlers to keep her on the right track and push her towards success. It’s oddly almost like she and Harry are unwittingly sabotaging their own dreams with a string of very ill-considered actions. It’s sad – but it can’t go on forever.”

Our source added: “Meghan should also take steps to end hostilities with her sister-in-law Kate, who by comparison is emerging as a role model in tact and diplomacy. It’s hardly surprising that Kate’s popularity is soaring here in America while Meghan’s is heading in the other direction.”