TIME on Wednesday released its full list of 100 most influential people of 2021 and plans to showcase the list with seven special, worldwide covers.

The TIME100 Most Influential People for 2021 has been revealed and as usual, it’s a surprisingly mixed bag of celebrities, politicians, entrepreneurs and athletes. But it was one contentious couple that stole the limelight, and not for the first time, either. Prince Harry and Megan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have snagged one of the special worldwide covers, much to the dismay of Royalists, but they weren’t alone. For the 2021 Most Influential People edition, TIME opted to release seven unique covers, each highlighting one standout entrant.

The other celebrities and political leaders featured on the covers include gymnast Simone Biles, actor Kate Winslet, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, director-general of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, CEO of NVIDIA Jensen Huang and writer Cathy Park Hong. A diverse crew, to say the least. The TIME Most Influential People cover stars perfectly encapsulate the unique collection of thought-starters and industry leaders that invariably shape the edition itself.

“I find reason for optimism…in our 18th annual TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people,” Edward Felsenthal, editor-in-chief and CEO of TIME said in a statement. “It features extraordinary leaders from around the world working to build a better future. From entertainers striving to make Hollywood more inclusive to activists fighting for sustainability and human rights. They are disrupters, fixers, doers, iconoclasts, problem solvers—people who in a year of crisis have leaped into the fray.”

As a result, this year’s list of influential people includes 10 climate leaders. A series of advocates and a wealth of ground-breaking athletes, the majority of whom are women. Fifty-four of entrants this year were female, with the youngest featured, Sunisa Lee just 18-years-old. Conversely, US President Joe Biden took home the unenviable honour of being the oldest person in the 2021 issue at 78-year-old.

The Royal Impact

As Felsenthal puts it. All entrants in the TIME100 have challenged the status quo in some way over the past 12 months. But naturally, conjecture generally erupts following publishing. Social media has been quick to argue that while celebrities such as Kate Winslet have had great years. That’s not to say they’ve been any more or any less influential in 2021.

In the case of Harry and Meghan, TIME has dialled the controversy up even further. Irrespective of your opinion on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The powerhouse pair continue to draw attention. But there is merit to the madness.