The Special Honor Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Are About To Receive

Less than two years after their wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in January 2020. With that, Prince Harry had his military titles stripped away, they both lost their royal patronages, they aren't allowed to use the word "royal" as descriptions in any business capacity, and, while they are still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they can't use the HRH (His / Her Royal Highness) title (via The New York Times). But with the loss of those titles and honors, the couple have been working to create new titles and honors for themselves.

After leaving royal duties, the couple have since settled in a new home in Montecito, California, with their kids, Archie and Lilibet Diana (via Insider). They've also started the Archewell organization, which encompasses Archewell Audio, Archewell Productions, and the non-profit Archewell Foundation, whose purpose, according to the foundation's website, is to "uplift and unite communities — local and global, online and offline — one act of compassion at a time."

With the foundation, they have worked with a variety of institutions, including, among others, Global Citizen, which helps to combat vaccine inequity, and the Aspen Institute, which helps develop ways to battle misinformation (via Archewell). Now, their work with the foundation has been recognized by the NAACP.

At the 53rd NAACP Image Awards on February 26, the couple will receive the President's Award. In the NAACP's Twitter announcement of the award, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are described as "humanitarians, global leaders, and co-founders of Archewell." In response, the couple released a statement, saying, "It's a true honor to be recognized by President Derrick Johnson and the NAACP, whose efforts to propel racial justice and civil rights are as vital today as they were nearly 115 years ago" (via People).

But the couple isn't just receiving an award. The Archewell Foundation partnered with the organization to create the annual NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award (via People). This year, that award will go to Dr. Safiya Noble, director of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry.

First celebrated in 1967, the NAACP Image Awards were created to honor African Americans who had otherwise been overlooked in their industry, and it now presents awards for arts achievement in film, TV, music, literature, and digital media (via NAACP Image Awards). The honorary awards, including the President's Award, are given for exceptional work in public service and social justice.