THE King once told me: “Polls mean nothing to me.” He then looked me straight in the eye and added: “You see, I’m in it for the long term.”
We were at a reception held in his honour at Government House in Darwin, Australia, in April 2018.
Maybe I should have known better, but I had just informed him how well he had fared personally — along with the monarchy as an institution — in a major poll in respected newspaper The Australian, showing that support Down Under was at an 18-year high.
So perhaps he will take a measured view of this poll showing his reign is off to a good start. The results show the monarchy remains as popular as ever, with half of those asked backing Charles to be a good king.
The immense warmth towards the Queen — shown by half of her people mourning her death and a fifth saying they wept during her funeral — means she has left the monarchy in good shape for her son.
But the King and his courtiers cannot afford to be complacent.
Even if Charles does not look at polls, those courtiers whose job is to shore up the institution in the early days of a new reign know surveys are just a snapshot and can change.
We are, after all, in the honeymoon period, and while the monarchy is popular with the older generation and baby boomers, today’s youngsters are less convinced.
For they know, especially after the recent performances by a certain US actress and her grumpy sidekick “H” (a former senior royal known as Harry) — and the forthcoming book he has signed off on — the reputation of the King, his wife Camilla and his family could be left in tatters.
Meghan Markle, who seems to specialise in self-indulgent self-pity as well as attacking her own and her husband’s family, is now more popular than Prince Edward, the King’s youngest brother.
And there is a clear age-related divide over Harry and Meghan, who appear to be very popular with Generation Z — but Meghan is less popular than even disgraced Prince Andrew with the over-65s.
The poll also seems to suggest that the public is warming again to Harry but not so much Meghan.
He always was popular before he met his wife, often second only in polls to the Queen.
But in a way it is irrelevant as they now come as a hand-holding, rather exasperating double act.
The King wants a slimmed-down, modern monarchy and, according to this poll, he is in step with his people, with 42 per cent agreeing.
And for that he will rely more than ever on William and Catherine, our new Prince and Princess of Wales.
Just as well, then, that this poll shows they are still resoundingly the standout stars of the royal show.
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