• When comparing search engine volume data over the last year, UK based searches for Meghan Markle are more than double that of Kate Middleton.
• Brits care that Meghan is a divorcee – her former marital status is the third most searched for question relating to Ms. Markle online.
• UK internet users show no interest in Meghan’s religion – less than 1,000 UK internet users have googled this in the last 12 months.

New data from online marketing platform SEMrush suggest that Meghan Markle is now more popular with Brits than the Duchess of Cambridge. Despite the birth of Prince Louis in April, UK-based Google searches for Meghan Markle have been more than double when compared to her future sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. Between April 2017 and May 2018, 380,000 UK internet users searched for Kate Middleton (including searches for ‘Duchess of Cambridge’), whilst 820,000 Brits searched for Meghan Markle on Google.

According to global search engine volume data, Meghan Markle is also a more popular royal bride than Kate Middleton. At the time of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in April 2011, 30 million people googled the term ‘royal wedding’ globally. In the month leading up to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding, searches for this term were at 39.5 million.

Brits are also interested in Meghan Markle’s age, which was the most asked question about the future Duchess online in the last year. The second most asked question about Meghan Markle amongst Brits is ‘who is Meghan Markle?’ – suggesting that despite her global stardom, UK internet users aren’t all entirely sure who she is yet.

This data also suggests that Brits have shown no concern or interest in the future Duchess’ religion – less than 1,000 UK internet users turned to Google to ask which religion Meghan practices. Brits also seem to care that Meghan is a divorcee. Her first marriage is the third most popular ‘Meghan Markle’ related topic among questions asked by Brits on Google in the last 12 months.

The findings of this study also suggest that the popularity of some major royals has waned over the last 3 years. UK based searches for Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, total 20,000 in this time period, less than half of that of Mary Queen of Scots – who has been dead for 451 years. Despite also getting married later in the year, UK-based searches for Princess Eugenie over the same time period are at 15,000.

Likewise, UK-based searches for the future consort Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, are surprisingly low. In the last three years, 15,000 Brits have searched for Camilla online.