5 Royals Who Made It To Time 100 Most Influential List Before Prince Harry
TIME's Royal Favorites
On Wednesday, Prince Harry was named among the TIME 100 Most Influential People in Sports for the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014. The tournament has been a champion in honoring wounded service and war veterans, and will host its next edition in Birmingham in 2027. This marks the third time the Duke has featured in the prestigious magazine. For instance, he had been a part of the TIME 100 Climate list in 2024 and shared a joint cover feature with his wife, Meghan Markle, in the TIME 100 Most Influential People in 2021. However, Harry is not the first royal to catch the publication's eye. Here is a look at five other royals who made the TIME100 cut before the Duke’s 2026 feature.
Queen of Influence
The most obvious name that would come to mind whenever it has anything to do with iconic achievements in British royalty is the late Queen Elizabeth. In 1952, she was named the TIME Person of the Year. Throughout her reign, she graced the coveted magazine several times, including for special occasions such as her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Royal Power Couple
The Princess of Wales is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable women in the world, and naturally has made it to TIME magazine several times in the last 15 years. Her first appearance in the publication came in 2011, when she and her newlywed husband, Prince William, received a double feature in the TIME 100 Most Influential People list. She featured in the list again in 2012 and 2013. And much to her honor, last year Middleton featured twice in the magazine. She was part of the TIME 100 Health for raising awareness about cancer and its treatment by openly talking about her journey with the disease. Along with that, the Prince and Princess of Wales earned a double feature in TIME 100 Philanthropy for modernizing charity work.
King's Big Year
King Charles was named in the TIME 100 Most Influential People in 2023. It was the same year that he had ascended to the throne. His coronation was certainly a historic moment, as it was captured much differently than his mother’s. While the late queen’s coronation was the first to be televised, Charles’ ceremony allowed the camera lenses to capture the behind-the-scenes of the coronation.
The People's Princess
At one point, Princess Diana was considered the most photographed woman in the world. Along with her status as a beloved royal, her work for HIV/AIDS helped raise widespread awareness about the disease. The ‘People’s Princess’ was named the Woman of the Year for 1987 by TIME for her humanitarian work. In 1999, two years after her tragic death, she was named amongst TIME 100 People of the Century.
The Meghan Effect
Although previously a successful actress, the Duchess of Sussex was thrust into the global spotlight after her relationship with Harry was revealed to the public. The cameras have not stopped following her since then. She first appeared in the TIME 100 Most Influential People in 2018 and then returned again in 2021, along with her husband. The couple had featured on the cover.