Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have landed a joint cover of Time magazine, after being named on the publication’s annual list of the 100 most influential people of the past year.
On Wednesday – which just happened to be Harry’s 37th birthday – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Time cover was unveiled, along with the news that they had been named in the Icons section of the magazine’s annual list of influential figures.
Summing up why the royal couple had made the list, chef José Andrés wrote: “Springing into action is not the easy choice for a young duke and duchess who have been blessed through birth and talent, and burned by fame.
“It would be much safer to enjoy their good fortune and stay silent. That’s not what Harry and Meghan do, or who they are.”
He added: “They turn compassion into boots on the ground through their Archewell Foundation. They give voice to the voiceless through media production.
“Hand in hand with nonprofit partners, they take risks to help communities in need—offering mental-health support to Black women and girls in the US, and feeding those affected by natural disasters in India and the Caribbean.”
“In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know. They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle.”
Time’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people is divided into six categories: Icons, Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders and Innovators.
Alongside Harry and Meghan, other key figures named in Time’s Icons list included tennis pro Naomi Osaka, music legends Britney Spears and Dolly Parton and poet Cathy Park Hong.
Chart-topping singer Billie Eilish is featured among the Pioneers, while the eclectic mix of Titans includes Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Bridgerton creator Shonda Rhimes, American football player Tom Brady and Oscar-winning Minari actor Youn Yuh Jung.
The majority of figures from the entertainment industry are listed under Artists, including Kate Winslet, Lil Nas X, Chloe Zhao and Daniel Kaluuya.
Chloe and Daniel both won their first Academy Awards in 2021.
Jada Pinkett Smith and Elon Musk were both listed under Time’s Innovators title.
Meanwhile, the majority of those under the Leaders section were political figures, with America’s president and vice president, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, both making the cut alongside Stacey Abrams and Donald Trump.
Visit Time’s website to check out the full list of their 100 most influential people.