Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ending 2020 with a conscious reflection on the year that greatly altered most people’s lives.
Taking to Spotify for a special episode where they tapped an array of famous friends to reflect on 2020 as a whole, the episode sees plenty of familiar faces discussing what truly made this year so different from others in the past.
Beyond that, guests addressed resiliency, commended efforts by first-line workers, and overall summed up the year that won’t leave anyone’s minds anytime soon in the best way possible.
Their Thoughts
Harry led off by saying, “As we all know, it’s been a YEAR. And we really want to honor the compassion and kindness that has helped so many people get through it.”
Followed by Meghan, who added, “And at the same time, to honor those who have experienced uncertainty and unthinkable loss. Our thoughts have been with you, especially during this holiday season.” The couple then sent joint thanks to “healthcare workers, frontline service workers, and so many others for their sacrifices.”
The Duke and Duchess then decided to pose their famous friends with a fill in the blank question, asking, “fill in the blank: 2020, the year that…”
The Guests
Among those tapped for the episode were Sir Elton John, who said the pandemic altered his life, both personally and professionally, drastically.
“I’m 73 years old, and I’m a semi diabetic, so I’m in a risky area there. I have an underlying condition, as they say,” he led off saying, adding that life changes for him have included having, “an AA meeting from this house every Sunday. I connect with my friends who I’ve known for about 30 years in the program, and that’s great, and if it hadn’t been for Zoom, I don’t know what I’d have done, I really don’t — without Zoom, it’s been, it’s been a lifesaver.”
‘Take Care Of Each Other’
Filmmaker Tyler Perry also gave his thoughts on the year as a whole, saying, “An optometrist says 2020 is about vision. You know, eyesight. So I think it really opened our eyes to what was going on all around us, to humanity, to the world.”
On what he hopes for in 2021, Perry added that, “More than anything, I’m just hoping to see more and more smiles in 2021. We never want to go back to a time where we couldn’t hug or touch or love people because of a virus. We have to take care of our planet. We have to take care of ourselves. We have to take care of each other.”
‘Very Happy Staying In’
The episode is intermittently narrated by the Duke and Duchess, with Harry commenting that, “For some of our guests, looking outwards was the answer – while for others – they found the strength and comfort they needed right at home.”
Late night television host James Corden was also tapped as part of the special, delivering his take on the year as a somber reflection on personal traits, “I think what I’ve learned about myself is I really don’t have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). I’m very happy staying in,” he admitted. “I mean, I could lose a day just staring at the corner of a rug. That’s what I’ve realized. And I’ve been OK with that.”
