Prince Andrew dealt brutal verdict over his popularity amid new bombshell book
The book drops next ThursdayPrince Andrew has been dealt an embarrassing blow to his popularity amid the imminent release of a new bombshell book.
Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, written by royal biographer Andrew Lownie, will be available from August 14.
However, sections of the book have already been serialised online, revealing a host of explosive claims, not only about the Duke of York, but also his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
And let’s just say it doesn’t seem to have painted Andrew in the best light…
What does the new book say about Prince Andrew?
Of course, Prince Andrew has already seen his popularity plummet in recent years, due to revelations about his links with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The prince stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview about his association with Epstein, as well as allegations of sexual assault against him.
Then, he was stripped of his military titles and charity patronages in 2022 as he faced a US civil lawsuit over sexual assault allegations. Andrew has always denied the allegations against him, and he settled the case out of court in February 2022 with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.
But it seems the nightmare’s still not over for Andrew, as new allegations are on the horizon.
Some of the book’s most shocking claims include reports of a 2013 physical altercation with his nephew, Prince Harry, resulting in a bloody nose, and Andrew’s alleged mistreatment of palace staff. However, a spokesperson for Harry denied that a “fight” ever happened.
The book is also believed to include many shocking details about Prince Andrew’s sex life and his marriage to Sarah Ferguson.
Lownie said he contacted 3,000 of Prince Andrew and Sarah’s former schoolmates, colleagues and staff in order to source material. Of these, around 300 agreed to talk to him.
Duke of York’s popularity after scandals
In light of this, the most recent YouGov royal favourability poll paints a grim portrait of Prince Andrew.
Once again, he finds himself at the bottom of the royal popularity table, with just 5% of Britons claiming to have a favourable view of him. Meanwhile, 87% said that they had a negative view of him, and the remaining 8% stayed neutral.
Second from bottom was Meghan Markle, whom 20% of people said they had a favourable view of, and 67% a negative one.
Prince Harry is closely behind, with 28% of Brits having a positive opinion of him. 62% have a negative opinion, while 10% stayed neutral.
Most popular royal family member in new poll revealed
At the opposite end of the table, Prince William ranked as the most popular member of the royal family. 74% of people view him favourably and only 17% negatively. He is closely followed by his wife, Princess Kate, who received 71% positive and 14% negative votes.
Generally, there seems to be a trend of royals being more popular amongst older age groups. For example, only 30% of 18-24-year-olds said that they liked King Charles, compared to 77% of over-65s. However, Prince Andrew seems to break this rule, being largely disliked by all age groups.
On the whole, though, there still seems to be support for the royal family as a collective. 62% of Britons said that they view the family as a whole in a positive light. 58% also positively affirmed the wider idea of the monarchy.
Read more: New Prince Andrew biography claims he ‘lost his virginity at 11’ amid shock allegations
So, will you be reading the Prince Andrew book? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Royal Insider Facebook page.
