Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on Tuesday thanked essential workers and offered encouragement to people who suffered during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in their first podcast released on Spotify.

Harry and Meghan, known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hosted the episode and introduced reflections and hopes for the new year from singer Elton John, producer and actor Tyler Perry, tennis champion Naomi Osaka and other celebrities, artists and authors.

During the 33-minute episode, the couple thanked health care and front-line workers and others who made sacrifices during a challenging year.

“From us, I'll say no matter what life throws at you guys, trust us when we say, love wins,” Meghan said.

“Love always wins,” Harry added.

The episode ended with a surprise appearance by the couple's 19-month-old son, Archie. With guidance from his parents, Archie said: “Happy ... New ... Year!”

Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal duties in January and moved with Archie to Southern California to live a more independent life and escape the hostile British media. The pair made no mention of their move in the podcast.

In September, the couple signed a multiyear production deal for TV programming with Netflix Inc, followed by a multiyear agreement to produce and host podcasts for Spotify.

Reuters