Catherine, Princess of Wales, has made it to the shortlist for Time’s Person of the Year 2024. The 42 year old royal is in the running to win the magazine’s coveted title alongside other public figures including US President-elect Donald Trump, tech tycoon Elon Musk and Kamala Harris.
Kate’s nomination comes in the same year that she was diagnosed with cancer, with the royal being credited for “stirring a conversation about privacy and health for public figures” as she underwent treatment and opened up about her diagnosis. A statement on the magazine’s website reads: “The Princess of Wales made international headlines this year and stirred a conversation about privacy and health for public figures.
“In January, Kate Middleton was hospitalised for two weeks for a ‘planned abdominal surgery’ and Kensington Palace announced she would be out of the public eye until Easter.”
“But after conspiracy theories circulated online in March about Middleton’s whereabouts, the royal put the rumours to rest by revealing that she had been diagnosed with cancer. In September, Middleton announced that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.”
The Princess of Wales had previously made it to the TIME100 list of Most Influential People back in 2013, and she was one of the runners-up for the Person of the Year title in 2011.
Kamala Harris, who was defeated by Trump in the US election last month, has also been shortlisted with the magazine commending her for a “remarkable 107-day presidential campaign” following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Meanwhile, Trump earned his spot for his “stunning political comeback”, securing victory four years after his term ended.
The list also includes Russian economist Yulia Navalnaya, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, podcast host Joe Rogan, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Meta’s chief Mark Zuckerberg, who was praised for adeptly navigating “government scrutiny” of his company, which is behind giants Facebook and Instagram. Last year, Taylor Swift snagged the Person of the Year title but is noticeably missing from this year’s contenders despite taking over the music world with her The Eras Tour and hit album The Tortured Poets Department.
Since revealing that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment in September, the Princess of Wales has been seen at several royal events, including the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in November. More recently, she was joined by other royals as she held her annual Together At Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey.
