Wednesday 15 September 2021

UPDATED: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Lead Time 100's Most Influential List

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are cover stars for Time's 100: The World's Most Influential People.

Jose Andés wrote the introduction for the couple. The world renowned chef and founder of non-profit World Central Kitchen has become close friends with Harry and Meghan, owing to Archewell's collaboration with WCK.

'There’s a famous TV interview of Harry, the Duke of Sussex, when he was an Apache helicopter gunner a few years ago. He’s sitting close to an airfield in Afghanistan, commenting on some royal news, when there’s a bang and a group of soldiers scramble behind him.

In one swift motion, he stands up, rips off his microphone and runs toward the action.

That same sense of urgency drives Meghan, now the Duchess of Sussex, who has long been an active humanitarian and a powerful advocate for women and girls around the world. “This type of work is what feeds my soul,” she wrote in a 2016 essay. 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. 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 U.S., 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.'

The couple were photographed at their home by photographer Pari Dukovic. Time 100 photo editor Dilys Ng said the cover photo was shown to "capture their powerful dynamic as equal partners". Meghan was styled by Clare Hallworth, and Harry by Nina Hallworth (the sisterly styling duo work with a host of fashionable names including Jennifer Aniston and Patrick Dempsey). Make-up was by Linda Hay and hair by Meghan's trusted stylist, Serge Normant, who styled her hair for the wedding. The team worked on two very fresh looks, with clean lines and sharp tailoring. We saw Meghan's hair (looking fabulous) down, and her signature up-do.

A beautiful image of the couple holding hands and smiling at each other against the backdrop of their idyllic garden. 

Additionally, an Archewell update shared: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are not only humbled to be part of this year’s TIME 100 through the words of friend and partner José Andres, but to also write in praise of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the publication’s annual list of Most Influential People."

More from Archewell:

'Since becoming the Director-General of the World Trade Organization in March, Okonjo-Iweala has astutely been hailed for the groundbreaking nature of her appointment to the role; the first woman and the first African to assume the position. What further sets her apart, and makes her leadership all the more trailblazing, is her ability to see the COVID-19 pandemic as a crisis with significant implications for both health and economic security. To tackle it, she has encouraged governments, trade organizations, and individuals to think of vaccine distribution and equity as inextricable from economic recovery.

Okonjo-Iweala — who brings a 25-year career at the World Bank, two terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria, and a role as Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to her current position — is acting swiftly, working to improve coordination, supply chains, and the flexibility of trade rules in order to get COVID-19 vaccines to as many people as possible — and to every nation.'

The Duke and Duchess are continuing to participate in the fight for vaccine equity. From their work with VAX Live and Global Citizen to Harry's recent GQ Awards speech honouring Oxford scientists for their incredible work on the vaccine, it's been a cornerstone of their endeavours this year. Archewell added: "5.7 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered globally so far, with a majority of these doses given in a small number of developed countries; yet as of today, less than 2 percent of people in developing countries have received at least one dose. Vaccine equity means reversing these trends and creating a level-playing field for all nations, all communities, and all families. The Duke and Duchess are honored to be Ngozi’s partner in pursuing that goal and are proud to be listed alongside her on this year’s TIME 100."


Others on the prestigious list include Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Liz Cheney, Stacey Abrams, Simone Biles, Kate Winslet, Naomi Osaka, Britney Spears and Dolly Parton.

Styling for the shoot saw crisp neutrals and olive green chosen. With thanks to the ID work of What Meghan Wore, Meghan's Mirror, Caroline and Danielle a number of those pieces have been identified. It appears Meghan wore the Demme turtleneck by The Row. It's available at Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.

It appears Meghan wore a pair of Victoria Beckham trousers (also available at Moda Operandi). For her white trousers, Laura suggests the Giorgio Armani Wide-Leg trousers


The Duchess wore a number of striking pieces of jewellery. Meghan sported her gorgeous Lorraine Schwartz ring. Meghan also wore Diana's Cartier Tank watch and her Cartier Love and Jennifer Meyer tennis bracelets


Meghan accessorised with Shiffon's Duet Pinky Ring - a piece loved by Michelle Obama, Serena Williams and Nicole Kidman. 


The brand supports women with a portion of profits. More from People:
'She sports Shiffon's flagship Duet Pinky Ring, which features a tiny diamond beside a larger one to represent one woman supporting another through a "pinky promise." Shiffon also donates half of their profits to fund female empowerment grants.

Keeping with the Duchess of Sussex's commitment to sustainable fashion, the company's diamonds "are ethically sourced and follow conflict-free and socially responsible practices."

Shilpa Yarlagadda started the jewelry company in her Harvard dorm room with the mission to give women equal footing.

"Our mission at Shiffon is to close that gender gap, particularly in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is about taking action and learning quickly, and we want to give women the opportunity to do that while not being afraid to take risks or fail," Shiffon says on their website. "We are optimistic that we can begin making this change. Through our efforts, we aim to financially empower a million women across the globe by 2025."

On that happy note, wishing Prince Harry the happiest of birthdays today. I'm sure Meghan has a wonderful day planned with Archie and Lili to mark his 37th!

43 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness the Duke and duchess of Sussex are doing a great job despite all negative comments about them well I have a great quote if people talk negative comments and people can talk about your work your doing a great job .. the Duke and duchess Sussex did great job not just he prince as good man and good public servant

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  2. Harry and Meghan are beautiful people, inside and out. I so admire their work.
    Thank you, Charlotte, for this post!

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  3. Happy birthday to prince Harry. I am still dying to see to a photo of Lili. Hopefully Christmas🤞

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  4. They're such a gorgeous power couple! These pics are stunning and it's just great to finally see them together, feels like ages since I've last seen them both at the same time. And Time Magazine seems to have gotten in quite a few of the most talked about people of the year in the list including my two forever faves Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka so good job Time Mag. Also wishing a very happy birthday to my birthday twin Prince Harry! (I'm turning 31 today though) Personally I couldn't have had a better birthday present than these new Harry & Meghan pics...okay I'm lying: a picture of Lilibet and Archie is the only thing that would've been better than this. Long live the Sussexes!

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  5. There is so much sadness in their eyes. The way the British media has treated them is inhumane

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    1. I beg to differ with you. Contrary to your belief in my opinion Harry and Meghan
      exhibit love, happiness and strength in their eyes. Please let any and all negativity go. Live in each moment happily rather then the negativity of the past.

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  6. Somewhat frivolous amongst all the good they do in the world but don’t they both look great in that green/khaki colour. Most unusual for Harry. Hope he has had a happy day and has managed to speak to some of his family. LRB

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  7. This was such a surprise to me, but what a surprise! Those portraits are amazing; I know there's a lot of styling, etc, but they look amazing. Harry looks like a god -- that hair! And those eyes. And Meghan looks like a kind ruler of the universe. The body language says a lot to me -- Harry is supportive and brave and Meghan is eager and ready to move forward. I do not understand why they continue to be punished for doing nothing wrong. I don't understand family anger for them. Regardless, Meghan is a force that should not be held back; she's smart and talented and caring and she happens to be beautiful. I hope the love from her mom and from Eugenie and the Queen hold them together so they can accomplish more and have a happy life with their own family. And Harry's birthday!! It would be a real treat for them to return to the UK for a christening with the Queen (and LOTS of photos) AND to have a christening for little August, too.

    Meghan looks terrific after having a baby and I'm looking forward to reading about her jewelry. :)

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  8. Happy Birthday, Harry!
    What gorgeous photos and a well-deserved honor.
    Such a power couple.... Synergy for sure.

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  9. After all those years of "Windsor blue," Harry looks fantastic in those colors; thank you, Meghan! :)

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  10. The write up about the Sussex in the time summarise both of them perfectly.....still they rise

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  11. Hmm I love the vibe looking color coordinate

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  13. So cool that they wrote about Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is also part of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize. Jose Andres and his team have also done incredible work. There are so many inspirational people :)

    Love the olive green colors on both of them. I prefer the framed photo with the window over the cover photo. S

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  14. that was great. Harry looks amazing on the cover not my fave photo of meghan on the cover but the other images of her are lovely. they look great together

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  15. I may be in the minority but the cover photo just looks really strange to me. Like Harry's head and arm were photoshopped on or something! LOL. I do like the other two photos in the olive.

    Nevertheless, a huge deal for the Sussexes to be on the cover of Time!

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    1. I agree. I think the problems is, that’s it’s so obviously photoshopped. We all know that he is balding, there are tons of recent photos out there. He also looks much smaller and thinner than her but he is ended around 20cm taller. And what about the fantasy forest in the back? It clashed with their pose and outfit. I don’t get it, because the other photos are indeed lovely. I think it’s no surprise that they took their spot in the icon category this year. And I absolutely understand why they didn’t make the leader category. If you look at that selection it’s obvious why. I will argue though, that this years categories are pretty weak compared to last year. Phenoms or Advocates would have been a better definition because it carries a more defined meaning.
      C.

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    2. I'm with you - great feature & internal pics, but the cover is way over photoshopped. Harry looks strange and Meghan looks like a shampoo advert. Otherwise great feature and I'm happy to get this when it comes out! -op

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    3. The black and white outfit photo - They should have left it at their natural height. He is most likely about five inches taller than her. If the intention was to make them "equal power couple", the photographer / editor could have been more creative w/o making Harry look awkward. Harry seems to lean on the wall/bench whatever that is - his one leg showing, his right hand half hidden under her hair. I wonder if he had a say on this imaging. Meghan has it going on this one - fully visible, and Harry behind her Ok but not in a natural way / too much of his natural image was rearranged to create this total image. Good for Meghan, not so good for Harry. This is an opinion on image and photography, not necessarily on who they are.

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    4. Very photoshopped but I like it. It reminds me of a book illustration. Harry's hair is obviously "helped" but he looks so good, especially with those blue eyes! :) Harry appears to be sitting (although he has no three-dimensionality in his legs) and is both propelling Meghan forward and holding on for his own support and to provide her with support. The photographer is showing affection for them, in my view. The colors are gorgeous -- it's more like an art piece than just a photo.

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    5. Allison - Nice to read the way others view it. True it is art like. Although their presence shows beauty and well being for both of them, the final image could have had a realistic proportion/balance. I think showing a naturally coordinated presence and some chemistry could have given it more life. It is art gone bad - sorry!

      The two other images dressed in olive green are much better.

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    6. I agree. I think Meghan is an extraordinary beauty and can't imagine why they felt the need to photoshop her! And, Harry looks very awkward stood behind her. Agree that the other photos are nicer. I enjoyed reading what they wrote about the Director-General of the WTO.

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    7. what do you mean by photoshopped? Do you mean a photographer using what he sees to compose a wonderful set of photographs that send a message of sincerity?

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  16. Well deserved honour! I think they both qualify under the Leader category as well. Loved the tailored look on both of them- it's just perfection. Is this the first time they've been "styled" together? So nice to see Harry looking so suave- and not in blue or grey. Harry's current CV is getting most impressive. He seems to be going from strength to strength. Looking forward to seeing more of Meghan's work in the fall as she finishes her maternity leave.

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  17. Archie & Lili's parents are FIRE!

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  18. I love the cover photo. She just had a baby 3 months ago! Congratulations to this beloved couple.

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  19. Thanks again Charlotte. We are so awaiting news from these 2 beautiful dynamic people that it is still a great pleasure to read you.
    Congratulations to them and this place in Time's only reinforces all the love that many feel for the Sussexes: they are in demand and it is only deserved.

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  20. They are two beautiful 💕 people with love in there heart.

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  21. "Run toward the struggle" might be a TAD bit of an exaggeration given that we've seen Harry publicly four times: A concert: VAX Live, His Grandfather's funeral, His mother's statue unveiling, and playing polo in Colorado. He did meet up with James Corden to have some fun on a TV show. Otherwise he's been hanging in his mansion in California making phone/video calls to folks. Also, he and Meghan spoke on camera to Oprah, why?, no one really knows. Meghan's not been out and about anywhere we know of. The did write a check to Jose's charity, either from Harry's inheritance or their media deals. But we actually haven't seen anything they've produced - what voiceless folks content did they make? Not sure what risks they've taken either... they fund Archewell for others to take risks.

    They may just be nice folks who make phone calls, donate to causes, and phone in media appearances to thank others who are making a difference in the world. Run towards the struggle? I disagree.

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    1. None of us know H&M or any of the RF or anyone else in the world. All we know is what we see and what we read, which can definitely be staged. Something drove the chef to say they run toward the struggle rather than to say they are great people who are very generous. There are levels to every charity -- the people who are on the ground doing the hard work and the people who do what they can to find the funds for that work. The funds providers can remain at the hub and support multiple charities. They often face abuse for "going Hollywood" and doing what it takes to be in the news rather than just retreat to a private wealthy existence. No, H&M are not in Haiti cooking meals. If they were, a few people would have meals. If they contribute $1 million, many more people will have meals. To be able to be nice folks who make phone calls, they had to leave a comfortable royal lifestyle and incur the continued anger from many of their actual family, which just continues to amaze me, not to mention abuse from the UK tabloids. It's odd that people who don't know them have such strong opinions that are at odds with people who actually do know them. I recognize that it is a game that must be played to remain "in the news" and sought after so that people will give you money, whether as jobs or donations. In addition to everything they faced in the UK, it seems clear to me that they were not able to donate to causes as they wished. Their "work" was to be determined by palace staff, not to overshadow the work of the rest of the RF and not to clash with the neutrality of the RF. Many of those phone/video calls were the result of the continued pandemic. Meghan has been pregnant twice during the pandemic. It's easy to "do good" when you have a whole system designed to support you. Meghan knows what she needs to do to stay relevant and I support her completely. I support her photo with her in the forefront, I support her feminism.

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    2. I just replied but did not mean for it to be anonymous.

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    3. I agree with Allison . It’s very difficult to run any non-profit without people who do the asking. The old adage for fund-raising states that “people give to people, first , after they believe in your mission” I do admire all the ways the Sussex’s have been able to raise money.

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    4. Beautiful well stated reply, Allison. Thank you for saying what many of us believe.

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    5. @Florida Moxie

      I don't think that he meant it literally. The Sussex approach results in boots on the ground. They have been effective in their work for current and urgent humanitarian issues. Let's not diminish the work they do both publicly, and the work they do behind the scenes to support the work they make public.

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  22. Total congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Success and still the UK media continue to bash them. If they are irrelevant why cover them? The UK just can’t seem to let go. Very strange.
    Happy Birthday Prince Harry.

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  23. Sheryl from BC Canada18 September 2021 at 01:40

    He is sexy, she is beautiful...together they are a glowing, happy philanthropic family with great plans. Air brushing on mag covers? They ALL do that. :) Just look at the recent spread on Sarah, the Duchess of York. I'm thrilled to see this post, the accolades and yes....the clothes of both of them. lol. There is a reason that they made the cover of Time Magazine. They care. They put their money where their mouth is. They put the vicious, malicious words of the gutter press behind them and continue to just bring it on, with grace and passion.

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  24. Thanks Charlotte for such a great post! I was so thrilled when I read that Meghan and Harry made the Time's Top 100's list!! Not only are they continuing to "walk their talk" they are inspiring so many others to reach out and be of service.

    When they stepped back from being senior royals and moved across the pond, so many predicted their failure, that they would come crawling back unable to survive outside of the royal fold. But survive they did, they are thriving!! They are doing to work that they longed to do, without the constriction of the royal rules and environment.

    I look forward to watching them grow and seeing the content their production companies will create!

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  25. You mention every piece of jewelry except the ring on her right hand. I would love to know more about that one.

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    1. Hello, the Lorraine Schwartz ring?

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    2. Oh, I somehow missed that! My apologies. It's a beautiful piece as well as the Shiffon Duet pinky ring. I absolutely lover her jewelry!

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  26. @MAM Your thoughts about this would be very welcome. The Lorraine Schwartz ring is now kind of a mystery. I don’t think it’s part of the Saudi Diamond set because Iirc even if gifted to her, it would actually belong to the crown and therefore would have stayed in the UK?
    But why not just answering the question and shut down all those ridiculous rumours? They were very obviously questioning about this specific ring, made a claim that was immediately identified as not fitting and than made a u-turn and have only addressed the origin of a ring nobody asked about. I don’t get it. That makes the whole story look suspicious when it’s probably nothing. I think it’s a very expensive piece of jewellery for a pinky ring but that’s about as scandalous as it gets.

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  27. The ring is very much like those emerald-cut diamond solitaire earrings she wore twice, once with an ebony border, after she had Archie. It feels like there could not be a bad background to these diamonds or else very malicious gossip would pour out from the palace people who don't like her. I mean, they are willing to try to destroy in other ways, so if they had something genuine, surely they would not hold back. What upsets me about the ring and earrings is that I never see a photo in which they sparkle. When you can look up jewelry on the designer's site, you can enjoy all the sparkle. I also thought she would not be allowed to keep the diamonds if they had been a gift from another country, and I can't imagine the tabloids would miss running a "Meghan stole from the Queen" story if they could. It would be lovely to think Harry bought them. :)

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Welcome to Mad About Meghan! We do so look forward to reading your thoughts. Constructive, fair debate is always encouraged. Hateful, derogatory terms and insults are not welcome here. This space focuses on Harry and Meghan, not any other member of the Royal family. It's not the place to discuss politics either. Thank you for reading, we look forward to your comments :)