The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, are said to have ditched their royal titles. This they did, in preparation to their first appearance together on a TV event, which is an event celebrating TIME magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people.
From the sneak peek shared by E! News, the couple were introduced simply as “Harry and Meghan,” dropping their royal titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. However, a TIME article highlighting the event did include their royal titles, listing them as “the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,” People Magazine reports.
People also reported that other stars appearing on the television show that will announce this year’s honorees include Trevor Noah, Sandra Oh, Kumail Nanjiani and John Legend. There will also be performances by Halsey, Jennifer Hudson and The Weeknd.
“In a year in which we are unfortunately unable to convene the TIME100 community together in person, we are excited to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the members of this year’s list with a brand-new experience on ABC that will allow more people to participate than ever before,” TIME studios president Ian Orefice said in a statement to E! News.
Although Meghan, 39, and Prince Harry, 36, retained their royal titles when they stepped down as senior members of the royal family in March — though they will not actively use their titles of “His/Her Royal Highness” — this isn’t the first time they’ve chosen to be simply “Meghan and Harry.”
At his first event after announcement their royal exit, a Travalyst conference in Edinburgh, Scotland this past February, Prince Harry asked people to “just call me Harry.”
And after relocating to Los Angeles, the couple simply went by their first names during a visit to Homeboy Industries, a community social justice organization working to improve the lives of formerly incarcerated and previously gang-involved people in L.A.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were just ‘Harry and Meghan’ to the homies,” said Father Greg Boyle, the group’s founder. “They rolled up their sleeves and deeply engaged with our workers in the bakery and café. It was immediate kinship and heartening in its mutuality.”
Meghan and Prince Harry moved to Los Angeles with 1-year-old son Archie in March after stepping down from their senior royal roles. They recently bought a home in Santa Barbara, about 95 miles north of L.A. Now, the couple are starting their behind-the-scenes careers in the TV industry after signing a multi-year deal with Netflix.
They said in a statement when the deal was announced: “Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection. Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.”
They added, “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”