Prince William and Princess Kate honoured in Time’s Top 100 Philanthropy Awards

William and Catherine’s inclusion in the Time list marks a notable follow-up to Prince Harry and Meghan, who were also featured in 2021. Photo / Getty Images

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been recognised by Time Magazine in its prestigious Top 100 Philanthropy Awards.

William, 42, and his wife Catherine, 43, have spent years working with charities and were praised by the publication for their efforts to “modernise royal philanthropy” through social innovation and corporate partnerships.

In its citation about the pair, Time wrote: “Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are less concerned with cultural preservation and more 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, an environmental award founded by William in 2020.”

The magazine added: “Crucial to the Waleses’ approach is aligning social imperatives with sound business strategies and building corporate alliances.”

William and Catherine’s inclusion in the Time list marks a notable follow-up to Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who were featured in Time‘s Top 100 most influential people list in 2021.

In recent years, Catherine has launched the Shaping Us campaign and the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, which encourages employers to support young children’s development in the workplace.

The initiative is backed by companies including Deloitte, Lego and Co-op.

Meanwhile, William’s environmental award, the Earthshot Prize, is entering its fifth year.

The programme allocates £5 million ($11m) annually to eco-projects worldwide and was first established in 2020.

In addition, William launched Homewards, a five-year programme working to end homelessness across the UK.

The project has secured partnerships with organisations including Pret-a-Manger and NatWest.

Speaking during the Earthshot Prize event in Cape Town last year, William said: “It’s more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people.”

Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, have continued to promote philanthropic causes through The Archewell Foundation.

Meghan recently appeared at the TIME100 Summit in New York, where she gave an on-stage interview defending her Netflix series.

Harry has also been involved in numerous charitable efforts, but recently stepped down from the board of Sentebale, a charity he co-founded in 2006 to support children affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana.

His departure came amid continuing tensions between the Sussexes and the wider royal family and after a scandal that engulfed the charity.