THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX The influential couple cement their status
ARE HAILED AS ‘ICONS’ AS THEY TAKE THEIR PLACE AMONG THE TOP 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
It
was cause for double celebration when the Duke of Sussex was chosen as one of the most influential people of 2021 by Time magazine, on his 37th birthday.
Prince Harry marked the occasion by posing with his wife the Duchess for their first magazine cover photoshoot, having been named as “icons” on the annual Time 100 list.
Last week, three pictures were released of the couple, who have each previously appeared in the list, as have other members of the royal family.
According to the magazine’s picture editor, the cover image “captures their powerful dynamic as equal partners” as Prince Harry, wearing black and his trademark bracelets, stands beside his wife with his hand resting supportively on her shoulder. Dressed in a cream jumpsuit and wearing her hair down, Meghan looks directly into the camera.
Another picture shows the couple standing beside each other against an open window, colour co- ordinated in olive green, while in a third (seen right) they are walking hand in hand and smiling against a forest backdrop.
The words accompanying the pictures were written by chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, which is supported by the Sussexes’ foundation, Archewell.
WORDS OF PRAISE
Describing them as having been “blessed through birth and talent, and burned by fame”, he writes: “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.
“They turn compassion into boots on the ground through their Archewell Foundation. They give voice to the voiceless through media production.
“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 the Duchess were named separately on the influential list in 2018, and this year appear alongside others such as Dolly Parton and Britney Spears as “icons” rather than “leaders”.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry’s relatives sent birthday greetings online and he was thought to have celebrated his special day privately with Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, at their Californian home.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s official Twitter account posted a photo of him along with the words: “Happy birthday Prince Harry!” A similar message was
‘ They turn compassion into boots on the ground through their Archewell Foundation’
posted on the Queen’s Twitter account, featuring four pictures of Harry, while the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall posted three images on their official social media account, including two of Harry with his father.
The message read: “Happy birthday to the Duke of Sussex!” and included a birthday cake emoji.
The past few weeks have been a busy period for Harry, who co-hosted an online special last week alongside his friend, US First Lady Dr Jill Biden, to honour those taking part in the Warrior Games, a sporting event for injured US military and veterans.
INSPIRATIONAL FRIENDSHIP
“I am so sorry that we’re not all together at the Warrior Games where we should be,” said the Duke, who was inspired to found his Invictus Games after attending the Warrior Games in Colorado in 2013 and seeing how the challenge of competitive sports aided the recovery of injured members of US forces. “The pandemic has certainly changed or flipped life upside down for so many people.”
The Prince and Jill go back a long way, having first got to know each other in May 2012 after meeting at a reception for US and British Warrior Games participants in Washington.
The pair soon forged a firm friendship, bonding over their shared military ties – Harry as a former army officer and Jill as the daughter of a Second World War veteran and stepmother to Beau Biden, who was a major in the US military before dying of brain cancer in 2015.
Jill went on to be an enthusiastic supporter of the Prince’s Invictus Games.
‘ The Duke and Duchess have
compassion for people they don’t know’