The Duchess of Sussex has made the final shortlist for the famous ‘TIME Person of the Year’ countdown. The US magazine produces a special issue annually which recognises the person who has “done most to influence the events of the year”, and this year, Meghan is among the final ten in the running.
That influence can be for ‘either good or ill’ although in Meghan’s case it’s all positive. TIME’s editors note that she has brought her efforts for humanitarian causes into the House of Windsor following her marriage to the Duke of Sussex in May 2019. Meghan is described in the top ten countdown as an activist while the magazine notes that her wedding “captivated crowds across the UK and millions more worldwide”.
Among the others in the running for 2018 Person of the Year is US President, Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Christine Blasey Ford whose testimony against President Trump’s nomination for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, made headlines around the world is also on the shortlist.
If Meghan were to be named TIME’s Person of the Year, she’d be following in The Queen’s footsteps. Elizabeth II was named Person of the Year in 1952 following her accession to the throne in February that year on the death of her father, King George VI. However, the first royal to be named Person of the Year was Wallis Simpson, later Duchess of Windsor who was named in 1936 in the aftermath of the Abdication Crisis. Wallis was also the first woman to be given the title although, until 1999, the award was called ”Man of the Year”.
The accolade can also be awarded to a group, as was the case last year when it went to the Silence Breakers, the women and men who spoke out about sexual abuse and harassment including leading figures in the Me Too movement.
The TIME Person of the Year will be revealed on December 12th 2018, and even if she doesn’t win, her inclusion on the list cements Meghan’s new place on the world stage.
