Just weeks after Meghan Sussex delivered a keynote address at the TIME100 Summit, the media is already framing the latest development as a Prince Harry and Meghan ‘snub’. TIME has named Prince William and Kate Middleton to its 2025 list of the most influential people in philanthropy, describing the couple as “innovators” for their work with the Royal Foundation and the Earthshot Prize. The twist? TIME left Harry and Meghan off the list, even after inviting Meghan to speak and despite their global impact—while the magazine’s owners maintain financial ties to the Wales’ Royal Foundation.
The message is clear: when it comes to influence, the Sussexes are the benchmark—but when it comes to recognition, there is an objective to erase them. The decision exposes serious questions about media favoritism, donor-driven editorial choices, and how far institutions will go to protect the illusion of royal relevance.
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TIME100 List Leans On Connections Not Contributions
The TIME100 Philanthropy list features Prince William philanthropy efforts like the Earthshot Prize and Kate’s Shaping Us campaign. Earthshot offers awards to environmental projects, although its impact remains vague and heavily PR-driven. Kate’s early childhood initiative receives praise, focused on a task force report estimating that childcare investment could add £45.5 billion to the UK economy. Yet similar findings have long been published by experts, making the media’s framing of her role seem overstated.
What the TIME profile fails to mention is that the magazine’s owners, Marc and Lynne Benioff, are longtime supporters of the Royal Foundation. Their financial connection appears in Time’s article fine print. That disclosure makes the “innovation” label look less like earned praise and more like pay-to-play promotion. The conflict of interest undermines the credibility of the recognition and further exposes how elite networks influence media narratives.
Media outlets have framed Harry and Meghan’s absence as a snub, centering headlines not on the Waleses’ work but on the Sussexes’ exclusion. This has become a familiar pattern. The couple is constantly used as a counterpoint—praised when ignored, condemned when present. The media can’t stop invoking their names, even when pretending to move on.
Related | Meghan Sussex Shines at the 2025 TIME100 Summit in New York
Harry And Meghan Snubbed Despite Consistent Leadership And Visibility
For those tracking actual philanthropic innovation, the omission is laughable. Harry and Meghan snubbed from the TIME100 philanthropy list just weeks after participating in the organization’s own summit is a contradiction that speaks volumes. Meghan was a keynote speaker in New York. The couple’s Archewell Foundation continues to fund community aid, vaccine access, digital safety, and mental health initiatives. Unlike their royal relatives, they operate without taxpayer money and still deliver results.
Embed from Getty ImagesTIME excluded Meghan and Harry from a list curated under the oversight of owners with known ties to the Royal Foundation. It’s a sign that the old establishment still clings to influence it no longer earns. While the Waleses make headlines with vague campaigns and glossy PR, the Sussexes continue to show up in rooms that matter. Global forums like the TIME Summit and the UN have invited no other working royal to speak solo in recent years—except Meghan Sussex. No other royal is shaping tech safety policies with the White House or meeting youth leaders at the UN.
Yet again, the press tries to diminish their relevance by framing the absence as a loss. But the real loss is credibility—on TIME’s part, and on the part of the media outlets that need to prop up William and Kate by comparing them to Meghan and Harry. The Waleses can’t stand on their own, and the world knows it.
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How corrupt, so they buy there way to be seen and hurt So money buys everything?? Sick is that Done with Time 100 I will unfollow them
This is utterly ridiculous, they do know that people are not stupid and know what’s happening in the world. It just shows that if you have enough money you can buy your way to the top but have no substance. Kate shape up is not even in operation anywhere so how can it be classed as accomplished philanthropic enterprise?? Earthshot prizes initiative is very vague as there are no information about given out about who won and why it was given to those people and what the prize money is for . By the time these corrupt spin doctors finish the wales will have cure cancer, world hunger and peace though out the world with out lifting a finger .
All Time did is prove what a joke they are, as for the Wales’s they should get the award for the laziest people on earth, considering how little they ‘work’ and what have already been on 3-4 holidays this year alone. I’m sure Meghan and Harry will survive he so called snub, they are busy working hard on their numerous projects including the work they do with their foundation.
AND…David Beckham is also attached to the same Foundation…what a scam!
The royal foundation inclusion on the list diminishes the achievement of the orgs whose works earned them a place. Kate and William should hang in their head in shame that their inclusion needed an asterisk. But we are talking about a man whose every ‘success’ is about being given things because he was born first; and his spouse who sold her dignity for stolen jewellery.
Obviously they knew it was coming, which explains the article touting Kate’s success in advocating for paid child care leave. That claim needed an asterisk too because her big achievement, was Deloitte’s big achievement which phased rollout was announced a year before Kate started her vanity nonsense
Earthshot is also not moving the needle for climate change. William is fronting for shark investors looking for individuals or grassroots org who have a PROVEN PROFITABLE idea they can exploit. Their ‘million pound prize’ is given in three annual installments and year two and three are not guaranteed if the business profits doesn’t grow.
Meghan was at time 100 in her capacity as a Founder; Archewell actual accomplishment have been recognized by time, H&M have also individually been recognized by Time. As usual the tabloids gave the grift away, by making the royal foundation exclusion all about dissing H&M whose foundation they KNOW actually deserve the recognition.