TIME names Prince Harry and Meghan two of the 100 most influential people of 2021
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have been named two of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME Magazine as part of its annual TIME100 list. The couple were profiled by José Andrés, a chef and the founder of World Central Kitchen, for the issue. Andrés has worked closely with the couple’s charity, Archewell.
Andrés describes Harry and Meghan as “giving voice to the voiceless” through their work with the Foundation. He also describes the couple as being “blessed by birth and talent” while also being “burned by fame”. He adds, “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.”
Andrés goes on to describe some of the work the couple have engaged in, including “offering mental-health support to Black women and girls in the U.S., and feeding those affected by natural disasters in India and the Caribbean.” The Archewell Foundation describes its mission as one that “puts compassion into action, uplifting and uniting communities locally and globally, online and offline”.
The Foundation includes a foundation that has worked with groups like The Aspen Institute, the Center for Humane Technology, Global Citizen, and Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, and production arm. Archewell Productions has a creative partnership with Netflix and is currently working on two projects: Heart of Invictus, a docuseries that will follow competitors on their journeys to the now-delayed 2020 Invictus Games, set to be held in 2022, and Pearl, an “animated series that centers on the heroic adventures of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by influential women from history”.
The release of the couple’s TIME Magazine cover coincides with Prince Harry’s 37th birthday, and comes just two weeks after the 24th anniversary of his mother, Princess Diana’s, tragic death.
Other influential people included in TIME’s 2021 list include Apple CEO Tim Cook, US President Joe Biden, former US President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, tennis sensation Naomi Osaka, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Harry and Meghan have both been named some of the most influential people on the internet before, but this is their first time on the overall list. Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, and Queen Elizabeth have also been named some of the world's most influential people in the past, as well as Pippa Middleton and several members of other royal families around the world such as Queen Rania of Jordan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan, and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.
Image: Pari Dukovic/Time Magazine