An 'extraordinary' new survey suggests that the Duchess of Sussex's latest interview and her new podcast episode were huge hits in the US. Despite claims that Meghan is dropping out of favour with Americans as news publications start to focus more on her sister-in-law, two-thirds of Americans who took part in the survey said they thought more favourably of Meghan since both her interview and podcast went live.
This shift in popularity comes despite Meghan's controversial comments that were made during her interview with The Cut Magazine and during the second instalment of her podcast, Archetypes. The Mirror reports that the 41-year-old Duchess caused a stir following her interview as she compared herself to the late Nelson Mandela.
Speaking to The Cut, Meghan claimed that South Africans 'danced in the street' after she married Prince Harry, just like they did when 'Mandela was freed from prison'. The former actress also alleged that she had to be given approval from The Firm for everything she posted on social media, and was forced to continue royal engagements despite a fire breaking out in Archie's nursery.
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But since Meghan's comments have become public, some British commentators have mocked her, with one claiming that the interview she did is 'threatening to the Royal Family'. But a poll of 2,001 adults in the US this week - carried out by OnePoll UK - found that they thought more favourably of Meghan despite her frowned-upon comments.
Of those quizzed, around 40 per cent said they thought 'more favourably of her', and a further 30 per cent said they thought 'much more favourably'. Just ten per cent said they thought less favourably of her and around 20 per cent said they felt no different.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam said: "I think that is an extraordinary result because the interview in The Cut was threatening, or I thought it was to the Royal Family. I think it is a staggering result, I can't explain it.
"But I certainly would very strongly condemn her mentioning of Nelson Mandela and his release from prison, and that it is linked to her in any connection or context. I'm not surprised that her admirers and her fans would support her, because she has some very piteous followers on Twitter.
"She is American and is unique in the way that she is a biracial former actress and divorcee, and when she married into the royal family, I thought it was fantastic. Now I'm just very surprised by this result, but I think she has admirers and fans because she is American."
The survey also found 16% of people described her as strong and 14% described her as charming, compared to just four per cent of people who described her as a bully. In the Cut interview, published last Monday, Meghan also claimed that Harry has 'lost' his father Prince Charles.
The poll found 36% of Americans believe these claims compared to just 10% who disbelieve them. Meghan also discussed how she left due to abuse from the media, and added that she hasn't signed anything that prevents her talking about her experience as a Duchess.
She has also released a Spotify podcast Archetypes, where she interviewed Mariah Carey. In the episode, Meghan complained that she was only "treated as a black woman" after she married Prince Harry, 37, in 2018.
Meghan and Harry are said to have arrived in the UK on Saturday (September 3) for their first visit since the Queen's Jubilee in June, apparently shunning a private jet in favour of a commercial flight. The former actress tied the knot with Harry at a fairy-tale wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018.
However, in 2020, the pair decided to step back from official royal engagements, and they later moved to America. They now live in California with their two children - Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
The couple did a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, where they discussed why they stepped back from the Royal Family. The Duchess claimed that an unidentified royal made comments about Archie's skin colour, before he was born.
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