The case of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, despite making the headlines every day, still remains quite a mystery. When the couple kept their real crowns as senior Royal members and moved out of the castle and, ultimately, the United Kingdom, many crowned them as their inspirations. However, the crowd on the other side of the pond was equally large and loud about its criticism. But contrary to popular belief, there has been an incline in their popularity. 

The Duke of Sussex’s memoir opened the gateway to the couple getting publicly ridiculed on various platforms. Many marked this as the end of their reign. However, the assumptions would soon be thrown out of the window thanks to their fans, who voted them to the top of TIME’s 100 most influential, leaving behind many prominent celebrities. The publication made clear the reason behind awarding them the ranks. 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are still the most popular Royals

The Sussexes chose to take the road not taken and went on to expose the supposed discrimination and partial treatment in the royal family. This led to many factual inaccuracies, one that was immediately shut down by New Zealand Airlines. Many reported that their popularity in Britain has stooped lower than that of Queen Consort Camilla. However, the couple has taken the third and fourth spots on TIME’s Most Influential 2023 reader’s poll.

This has not been the first time that Sussexes have broken charts in popularity. Their Oprah interview in 2021 ranked high on Google following Meghan Markle, becoming the most searched person in the United Kingdom in 2018. Previously, the couple has served on the cover of TIME magazine in 2021.

If readers’ opinion is to be believed, then the couple has left behind Lionel Messi, Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, and Mark Zuckerberg in the wake. However, the official list will be out on the 13th of April.

What makes the Sussexes so influential?

Their ranking in TIME’s 100 Most Influential cements their position as leaders in society despite giving away their senior royal positions. If anything, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had more influence following Megxit. Harry & Meghan docuseries was trending on Netflix for days following its release and Prince Harry broke the Guinness World record for selling the most memoirs in such a short amount of time. 1.43 million copies within 24 hours, to be precise.

Their non-profit organization, the Archewell Foundation, raised a staggering $13 million to improve the conditions of the suffering. This, along with the fact that Meghan Markle has an award-winning podcast and will soon be accepting one as Women of Vision, is a testament to the jugular grip the Sussexes have on the audience.

Do you think the couple will maintain the same position on the official list? Let us know in the comments below.