William and Kate Awarded a Surprising Honour in the US Following ‘Crucial’ Work

The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Buckingham Palace reception
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William and Princess Kate's incredible work in philanthropy is getting a much-coveted honour. William and Kate have been named to this year's TIME100 Philanthropy list, sitting alongside major players like David Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton, and Warren Buffett.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are being recognised for what the magazine called "modernising royal philanthropy," with their report pointing out that while royal charity work is nothing new, the Waleses have totally reshaped what it looks like today. The short article praised the royal couple for being "attuned to social issues, tackling homelessness and rural mental health through their Royal Foundation and spotlighting innovative solutions to climate change through the Earthshot Prize." It added: "Crucial to the Waleses’ approach is aligning social imperatives with sound business strategies and building corporate alliances to expand their reach."

It also focused on Kate's amazing work in partnership with big corporations, which have the power to help move the needle on early childhood welfare. As the Waleses make the list, it won't escape royal watchers' attention that Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have not been named on this year's list despite their extensive work in the philanthropy arena.

As reported by Hello!, William recently addressed his and his wife's fresh approach to royal philanthropy while he was in Cape Town for the 2024 Earthshot Prize. He said at the time: "I can only describe what I'm trying to do, and that's I'm trying to do it differently and I'm trying to do it for my generation. And to give you more of an understanding around it, I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that's maybe a better way of saying it."

He continued: "It's more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people. And I'm also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people's lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world."

Iris Goldsztajn
Freelance News Writer

Iris Goldsztajn is a freelance news writer for Marie Claire UK. She covers celebrity and royal news, and has previously written for titles including Marie Claire US, InStlyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red.

Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, she is especially interested in debunking diet culture and de-stigmatising mental health struggles.