Royal Family

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make Time 100 Most Influential People list

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have landed a coveted spot on Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list this year.

The cover of the issue shows Harry, who turned 37 Wednesday, wearing all black as he leans on Markle, 40, who is dressed in a white pantsuit. Both royals stare into the camera with serious expressions as they pose in front of a woodsy scene.

“They turn compassion into boots on the ground through their Archewell Foundation. They give voice to the voiceless through media production,” chef José Andrés wrote in a short essay about the pair. “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.”

Andrés, who partnered with the couple last December to build community centers with World Central Kitchen, concluded, “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.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the cover of the 2021 Time 100 issue.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on the cover of this year’s Time 100 issue.Time

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — who sensationally stepped back as senior royals in early 2020 — topped the “Icons” section of the list, which also includes pop star Britney Spears, country superstar Dolly Parton, tennis pro Naomi Osaka and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walking together.
The former senior royals appeared alongside the likes of Britney Spears, Dolly Parton and Joe Biden on the Time 100 list. BACKGRID

Olympian Simone Biles, Apple CEO Tim Cook, “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner Shonda Rhimes, NFL star Tom Brady and music producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz are included in the “Titans” section, while Oscar winner Kate Winslet, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, rapper Lil Nas X, actress Scarlett Johansson and actor Jason Sudeikis made the “Artists” list.

Grammy winner Billie Eilish topped the list of “Pioneers” alongside gymnast Sunisa Lee, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and fashion designer Aurora James.

The “Leaders” section sees the likes of President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese politician Xi Jinping, former President Donald Trump and WTO: World Trade Organization director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and “Innovators” include billionaires Jensen Huang and Elon Musk and “Red Table Talk” stars Adrienne Banfield Norris, Willow Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.