Public opinion is rarely as simple as being liked or disliked.

Sometimes, being remembered is enough to outperform those who attract far less controversy.

That appears to be one of the most interesting conclusions from a new YouGov survey measuring public attitudes toward members of the British Royal Family.

According to a report by Express, Prince Harry has unexpectedly ranked ahead of his cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, despite remaining one of the monarchy’s most controversial figures.

At first glance, the result appears contradictory.

Harry still receives far more negative opinions than either sister.

Yet he nevertheless finishes above them in the overall popularity rankings.

The explanation lies in a statistic that often receives far less attention than approval or disapproval ratings.

Recognition can matter as much as popularity

The YouGov survey, conducted between July 21 and July 22 among 2,063 adults, measured how respondents viewed various members of the Royal Family.

Prince Harry received a 33% positive rating.

Princess Beatrice received 30%.

Princess Eugenie followed with 29%.

Those figures alone were enough to place Harry ahead of both cousins.

However, looking deeper into the numbers reveals why the result is so unusual.

Harry remains deeply divisive

Despite leading Beatrice and Eugenie in positive ratings, Harry also recorded by far the highest level of negative opinion among the three.

According to the survey:

• 58% viewed Harry negatively.
• 34% viewed Beatrice negatively.
• 34% viewed Eugenie negatively.

Those numbers confirm that Harry continues to divide public opinion following his departure from royal duties in 2020 and his public criticism of the Royal Family.

On negative sentiment alone, Beatrice and Eugenie appear to be in a much stronger position.

Yet they still finished behind him.

The numbers that changed everything

The survey’s most revealing figures may not be the positive or negative ratings at all.

Instead, they involve the respondents who simply could not form an opinion.

Only 9% of participants answered that they didn’t know how they felt about Harry.

For Beatrice, that number rose dramatically to 36%.

For Eugenie, it reached 37%.

Those results suggest that many members of the public simply do not have a strong impression of Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s daughters.

While Harry inspires strong opinions—both favorable and unfavorable—Beatrice and Eugenie appear to generate far less engagement overall.

That difference helped Harry rank above them in the survey’s overall popularity measure.

A significant change from previous surveys

The report notes that this outcome represents a noticeable shift.

Previous YouGov polls did not place Harry above Beatrice and Eugenie.

The article points to two possible explanations.

One possibility is that Harry’s recent visit to the United Kingdom improved public perceptions of him.

Another is that Beatrice and Eugenie have experienced a decline in popularity because of continued attention surrounding their parents.

The survey itself does not determine which explanation is correct.

Instead, those possibilities are presented as potential reasons for the changing rankings.

The influence of family reputation

Although Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have maintained relatively low public profiles this year, the report suggests they may still be affected by controversies involving Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

Whether or not they played any role in those controversies, public perception of one royal family member can influence how others are viewed.

That possibility highlights one of the unique challenges facing members of the monarchy.

Unlike celebrities whose reputations are often judged individually, royals frequently remain connected in the public mind to the wider family.

Meghan remains lower in the rankings

Harry’s improved standing relative to his cousins does not extend to his wife.

The YouGov findings show that only 22% of respondents expressed a positive opinion of Meghan Markle.

That result places the Duchess of Sussex below both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in terms of public favorability.

The figures suggest that while Harry has managed to move ahead of his cousins in this particular survey, Meghan continues to face greater difficulty improving her public image among British respondents.

Prince Andrew remains at the bottom

The survey also produced one unmistakable result.

Prince Andrew finished last among the royals included.

According to YouGov:

• only 2% of respondents viewed him positively;
• 92% expressed a negative opinion.

Those figures make him the least popular member of the Royal Family measured in the survey.

More than a popularity contest

The latest YouGov poll illustrates that public opinion cannot be understood through approval ratings alone.

Harry remains one of the most polarizing members of the Royal Family.

More than half of those surveyed still hold a negative view of him.

Yet almost everyone has an opinion.

Beatrice and Eugenie, by contrast, face a different challenge.

Their negative ratings are considerably lower, but so are their positive ratings—and an unusually large share of the public remains undecided about them altogether.

In the end, the survey suggests that in modern public life, visibility can sometimes outweigh neutrality.

Being controversial may carry significant costs, but being overlooked can also influence where someone ultimately ranks in the court of public opinion.