Huge rise in support for Prince Harry permanently returning to Royal duties – but 60 per cent are still opposed to or undecided about a comeback, poll finds

An exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday has revealed that a third of Britons are in favour of Prince Harry returning to his royal duties permanently.

This is a significant increase on the previous six months and suggests that the Duke of Sussex, who is now 40, has managed to turn the tide of public opinion.

While more than 60 percent of the public is still against a comeback or has not yet decided, support for the prince has grown from 25 percent in March to 34 percent this month, according to Ipsos.

It’s a 36 percent increase, indicating that Harry’s more conciliatory stance towards the royal family this year is starting to pay off as he seeks to strengthen ties in Britain.

He returned to the UK without controversy in May to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games and in August for the memorial service of his uncle Lord Robert Fellowes. In an apparent olive branch to the royal family, he said last month that the paperback edition of his memoir Spare would not be updated with new “truth bombs”.

While more than 60 percent of the public is still against or undecided about a comeback, Prince Harry’s support has grown from 25 percent in March to 34 percent this month, according to Ipsos

Royal author Margaret Holder said: ‘The fact that Harry has not continued to engage with the complaints industry is helpful. His work on Invictus is popular and his tours to Nigeria and Colombia may have gone down well with the public. He has not apologised, at least not publicly, and there will be some who will never forget his attacks, but he does appear to be staying on the right track.’

The Mail on Sunday, which recently revealed that Harry is taking advice from former friends and aides as he plans to travel to the UK more often, can also reveal that he has been holding brainstorming sessions with British colleagues to explore ideas for “positive change” in his life.

The remote conversations, aimed at laying the groundwork for future “big plans,” took place from his home in California.

Someone he regularly turns to for advice is Nick Loughran, the right-hand man of his old friend Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster.

Mr Loughran, a former senior media adviser at Kensington Palace whose wife works for the Sussexes’ Archewell charity, met Harry in May when the prince was in the UK and the two have remained in touch as Harry seeks a path back to public popularity.

Mr Loughran is believed to be unwilling to take sides between the warring brothers and is said to have played a key role in the decision that Harry would not be allowed to attend the Duke of Westminster’s wedding in June, so that William could attend as master of ceremonies without their feud overshadowing the day.

A reliable source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Harry values ​​Nick’s informal guidance on progressive, positive matters.’

The Princess of Wales is still the most popular, with 66 percent of the public having a positive opinion of her

Queen Camilla is at 41 percent, up from her 38 percent around the coronation in May 2023

The MoS can also reveal that Harry is in contact with Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a former equerry to the Queen Mother who was private secretary to Prince William and Harry from 2005 to 2013, and with former royal adviser Ed Lane Fox, who led the rehabilitation of Harry’s public image in 2012, when naked photos of him were leaked.

According to a source, the prince’s recent meetings are further indication that he is “getting back to his old life” and “the ball is now in Harry’s court”.

Meanwhile, the prince, who today inherits a multi-million dollar sum from the Queen Mother, is celebrating his important birthday at home in California.

As for the royal family as a whole, the poll found that 56 percent believe King Charles is doing a good job – the same figure as in April – while less than a quarter want a republic. Biographer Hugo Vickers said: ‘It is good news for the King that his ratings are stable, but frankly I am surprised that they are not higher. He has shown great courage in facing up to his illness and doing his best under quite difficult circumstances.’

The survey, which polled 1,097 British adults between September 6 and 9, found that opinions about the Royals have remained largely unchanged since April.

Since April, Meghan Markle’s popularity has fallen from 25 percent to 21 percent, slightly higher than after the release of Spare, when it fell to 19 percent.

The Princess of Wales remains the most popular, with 66 percent of the public holding a positive view of her, followed by the Prince of Wales at 65 percent. Princess Anne, who rushed back to work in June after a head injury, remains the third most popular Royal at 62 percent.

Queen Camilla is at 41 percent, up from her 38 percent around the time of the coronation in May 2023.

Since April, Meghan Markle’s popularity has fallen from 25 percent to 21 percent. That’s slightly higher than after Spare’s announcement, when popularity fell to 19 percent.

Prince Andrew remains the least popular royal with just 11 percent support.