[imagesource: TIME]

The TIME has arrived.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been named as two of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME magazine.

The couple, famously known for stepping away from their duties as senior members of the Royal Family last year, landed themselves a spot on one of the magazine’s seven worldwide covers.

It was actually Harry’s birthday yesterday (he turned 37), so the news couldn’t have come at a better time.

The piece about Harry and Meghan was written by José Andrés, a chef and the founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters.

He praised the couple for “springing into action” and using their platform for good, calling Meghan an “active humanitarian and a powerful advocate for women and girls around the world,” after telling an inspiring story about Harry in Afghanistan.

The piece also recognises the work that they do via their Archewell Foundation, turning “compassion into boots on the ground”:

“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.”

Check them out:

Image: Pari Dukovic for TIME

Those who make TIME’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people are divided into six categories: icons, pioneers, titans, artists, leaders, and innovators.

Harry and Meghan are listed as icons. Others gracing the cover include gymnast Simone Biles, actor Kate Winslet, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, CEO of NVIDIA Jensen Huang, and writer Cathy Park Hong.

Also on the icon list is Britney Spears, who has embraced her likely newfound freedom (since her father let go of the conservatorship) by getting engaged and deleting her Instagram account, possibly as a way to show that she is now in a good place.

Paris Hilton wrote about Britney for TIME:

“Despite the darkness that has surrounded her life, Britney embodies joy and shares the light of her beautiful heart, forever the superstar. So we stand by her and root for her as she turns pain into purpose, her unwavering spirit stronger than ever.”

Biles made the cut on the list for titans as “the most decorated active gymnast in the world” according to USA Today.

She is also a survivor of sexual abuse by the former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

Biles’ withdrawal from various events at this year’s Tokyo Olympics came after she said she had “to do what’s right for me and focus on my mental health”.

Serena Williams wrote for her in TIME, saying:

Biles “truly reflects the endless potential of Black women” and that she wishes she’d had Biles to look up to when she was young.

“Simone is a shining example of what success looks like when you let go of what the world thinks and gather your strength from yourself… from your soul,” Wiliams added.

For the rest, you can peruse the list here.

[sources:time&usatoday]