Prince Harry Voted Onto Santa's 'Naughty List'
Prince Harry has earned a spot on Santa's "naughty list," according to a new satirical poll in Britain, while brother and sister-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are on the "nice list."
This year has seen Harry's popularity in Britain take a series of dives, most significantly following the publication of his bombshell memoir, Spare, in January, which was highly critical of his family members and the press.
According to new polling undertaken by market research firm Ipsos, from December 1 to 4 from a representative sample of 2,170 British adults, 27 percent of respondents said that they'd "expect" Harry to be on Santa's naughty list this year, against 6 percent who put him on the nice list. The prince's wife, Meghan Markle, was not in the poll.
By contrast, when asked which list they thought William and Kate would be on, 28 percent listed Kate on the nice list (with 6 percent saying naughty) while 26 percent put William on the nice list, against 8 percent answering naughty.
The couple came seventh and eighth from the top of the nice list, with the public voting "NHS staff," Sir David Attenborough and "Teachers" among the top five.
Prince Harry's popularity in Britain has fallen in the years since his 2020 split from the monarchy and move to the U.S. with Meghan.
According to Ipsos' latest popularity polling, conducted in July, Harry received a net approval rating of -14, while Meghan had a net approval rating of -27.
Newsweek approached representatives of Prince Harry via email for comment.
Reflecting on the results of Ipsos' recent round of festive polling, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said they are not unexpected.
"In past years, certainly before his split from the royal family, Harry would have been considered naughty, but very nice indeed," he said. "There was tremendous affection for him in Britain for many years. Now they have no permanent base in the country."
"This poll is simply a reflection of the unpopularity of the Sussexes in Britain," he explained, going on to add that he is doubtful whether they "care or they would have behaved in a different way."
The prince and Meghan have not paid a joint visit to Britain in 2023, last being present for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II back in September 2022.
Harry returned to the country several times throughout this year alone, most notably for the coronation of his father, King Charles III, in May.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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