Most popular royal named in surprise new poll and it's not Kate Middleton

New polling figures have revealed who the British public's favourite member of the royal family is - and it's not who many may have thought.

A survey run by YouGov has revealed that Prince William is the most popular member of the Firm in the eyes of the public, with 74 per cent of Brits having a positive opinion of the heir to the throne. Many believed Princess Kate would top the table, but instead she came in second, just 3 per cent behind her husband.

The Princess of Wales was knocked off the top spot by Prince William, after Kate was crowned the most popular royal in the same poll just six months ago. It comes after reports that William and Kate's charity work will keep their royal kids from suffering from "spare syndrome".

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William’s popularity has increased over the last few years as he has taken on more royal responsibilities since the cancer diagnoses of both his father and his wife. The public has been able to see a more personal and vulnerable side of the future King, which may have contributed to his growth in popularity.

In a close third place, Princess Anne, who is often dubbed the “hardest working royal”, received a 70 per cent approval rating from the public, as she has stepped up her royal duties in recent years to support King Charles.

King Charles III continues to hold majority support with 59 per cent of royal fans giving him their approval, while the royal family as a whole continues to be an important part of Brits’ lives, with the Firm at large receiving a 62 per cent approval.

At the other end of the popularity spectrum, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew have once again pulled up last, with Prince Harry only receiving a 28 per cent vote, and Meghan even less with just 20 per cent.

Unsurprisingly, coming in at last place on the list is Prince Andrew, with just five per cent of the British public having a favourable view of King Charles’ disgraced brother. Prince Andrew’s popularity has continued to plunge amid the dozens of damning allegations made about the Duke of York in the explosive biography Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.

The survey also concluded that the older population of Britain seems to have a more positive view on the royals than the younger generation, with the exception of Prince Harry and Meghan.

Beyond the individual royals, the British public are still clear in their support of the royalty, as six in ten Britons - or 62 per cent - have a positive view of both the family as a whole and the underlying institution of the monarchy (58 per cent).

This is roughly double the number of Britons holding the opposing views, with three in ten - or 30 per cent holding a negative opinion of the ruling family and 32 per cent sceptical of the monarchy. Across the board, the results of the YouGov survey have largely stayed the same since a similar poll was run in May this year.