KEY POINTS

  • Prince Hary and Meghan Markle are joining other celebrities for ABC's TIME100 special
  • The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were only referred to as "Harry and Meghan" in the promo clip
  • Prince Harry and Markle are still entitled to using the crown logo even if they are no longer working royals

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are making their first major TV appearance on ABC's TIME100 special.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have just closed a deal with Netflix, but many believed that they won't appear on their shows because they signed on as producers and not as actors. Interestingly, the royal couple will actually be making their first primetime TV appearance for TIME magazine's annual list of world's most influential people that is set to air on ABC on Sept. 22, E! News reported.

Based on the promo exclusively released via E! News, the royal couple will join several other big celebrities for the upcoming special, including Trevor Noah, Sandra Oh, Kumail Nanjiani and John Legend. Meanwhile, Halsey, Jennifer Hudson and The Weeknd will perform on stage for the special.

"In a year in which we are unfortunately unable to convene the TIME100 community together in person, we are excited to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the members of this year's list with a brand-new experience on ABC that will allow more people to participate than ever before," TIME Studios President Ian Orefice said in a statement.

Prince Harry and Markle have noticeably dropped their royal titles in the promo clip as the show only refers to them as “Meghan and Harry.” However, this move is not new at all because the royal couple has been skipping their royal titles at various events after they stepped down as full-time working royals.

For instance, in February, the Duke of Sussex attended an engagement at the Edinburgh International Conference Center and told the host to introduce him as just "Harry" and not "Prince Harry."

“He's made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry,” Ayesha Hazarika told the audience after introducing Prince Harry.

In June, the couple wrote a thank you letter to StreetGames, a national sports charity dedicated to helping people in the most disadvantaged areas of the U.K. Both signed the letter with just "Harry & Meghan.”

Meanwhile, many slammed the couple for still using the crown logo in their letter when they are no longer working royals. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams defended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and said they are still entitled to using the logo.

"They are entitled to use the coronet as Harry is the son of an heir apparent and Meghan was also assigned a coronet on their marriage," the expert explained.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lay ferns and a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior at the newly unveiled UK war memorial and Pukeahu National War Memorial Park on Oct. 28, 2018, in Wellington, New Zealand. Getty Images/Rosa Woods