Duke and Duchess of Sussex ‘burned by fame’ ... but still posing for Time magazine cover shoot

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have posed together for their first magazine cover shoot, groomed to near-flawlessness by Hollywood’s finest stylists for a celebration of them as “equal partners”.

The Duke and Duchess, who appear in two photographs released on Wednesday, are named on the annual Time 100 list as “icons”.

They have each previously been included in the list, along with other members of the Royal family, but have this year chosen to take part in a photoshoot.

The couple were styled by Clare and Nina Hallworth, whose clients include Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, with make-up by Linda Hay, who works with Kristen Stewart, the actress, and Emily Ratajkowski, the model.

The cover image “captures their powerful dynamic as equal partners”, said Dilys Ng, the Time 100 photo editor.

Prince Harry is dressed in black, captured with his vivid blue eyes, thick red hair, a neatly groomed beard and his trademark bracelets.

Perched on a wall, with the left-hand side of his body hidden behind his wife, he rests a hand supportively on her shoulder.

Watch: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle criticised over airbrushed TIME cover

The Duchess, dressed in pristine white with her gold watch and diamond rings on display, stares straight into the camera with smoky-eyed make-up and a half smile.

A second image sees the couple dressed in coordinating olive green, the Duke’s hands in his pockets, in front of an open window. A third sees them hand-in-hand, strolling through a lush garden and smiling at one another.

The couple were named alongside others including Naomi Osaka, Dolly Parton and Britney Spears in the “icons” section, rather than the “leaders” they could be equally qualified for.

They feature on one of seven covers for this year’s Time 100, a list of influential people across the world.

Their citation for the magazine was written by chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, which is supported by the Sussexes’ foundation, Archewell.

The chef compared the military service of Prince Harry, who was famously captured on camera scrambling to his helicopter when duty called, to the Duchess’s work as an “active humanitarian”, saying they had the “same sense of urgency”.

“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,” he wrote.

“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 US, 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 words echo the Duchess’s own entrance to royal life when, during an engagement interview, she said was excited to be “boots on the ground” in the UK.

They also coincidentally follow a speech by the Duke of Cambridge on Wednesday night, who praised emergency services workers who “run straight towards the danger”.

The Duke and Duchess are joined on the Time magazine covers – in separate versions of the issue – by Simone Biles, the gymnast, Kate Winslet, the actress, Billie Eilish, the singer-songwriter, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Jensen Huang, the chief executive of NVIDIA, and Cathy Park Hong, the writer.

The Sussexes have written their own citation for the magazine in honour of Dr Okonjo-Iweala. They wrote on their website: “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.”

Edward Felsenthal, the editor-in-chief and chief executive of Time, said of the Sussexes’ inclusion: “Their actions this year not only prompted deep re-appraisals of British society and the monarchy’s place within it, but have also catalyzed essential conversations on topics from mental health to misinformation.”

The Sussexes have previously appeared for Time 100 television, when they issued a plea to Americans to use their vote in the Trump-Biden election.

Prince Harry and the Duchess were named separately on the influential list in 2018.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have appeared on previous lists, as have the Queen and Prince of Wales.

The Prince of Wales has previously posed for a Time magazine cover.

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