(CNN) – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released their first podcast through their multi-year deal with Spotify, saying they hope it brings “warmth, a smile and something to think about” to listeners at the end of a difficult year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reflect on the year amid the coronavirus pandemic, kicking off the podcast by thanking “health care workers and front care workers for their sacrifices,” and playing a greeting from Elton John in quarantine with his family.
All the celebrities and artists who appear on the podcast sent in audio diaries instead of appearing over Zoom, because the couple said they didn’t want to tell someone they were “on mute.”
Matt Haig, author of “Notes on a Nervous Planet,” a book the couple loved, also makes an appearance to talk about his own struggles during lockdown.
Other guests include Tyler Perry, Stacey Abrams, José Andrés, Brené Brown, Deepak Chopra, James Cordon, Elton John, and Naomi Osaka. Perry talks about a low moment when he was left heartbroken when he tried to feed 5,000 families for Thanksgiving and realized his charity didn’t plan for more in need.
Spoken word performer George the Poet, activist Christina Adane and writer Rachel Cargle also make appearances. All described their own mental health struggles amid Covid-19 and isolation.
As for Harry and Meghan, they hinted at the rift with the royal family, declaring “love wins,” despite what’s going on in the world.
“From us, I’ll say no matter what life throws at you guys, trust us when we say, love wins,” Markle said.
“Love always wins,” Harry added, saying “As we all know, it’s been a year.”
Harry said the point of the podcast was “to honor the compassion and kindness that has helped so many people get through it.”
“Our thoughts have been with you, especially during this holiday season,” Markle said.
It’s just the first in a series of podcasts the couple plans to release in 2021. Earlier this month, Spotify announced it had struck a multi-project deal with Archewell Audio, the couple’s podcast production company.
Harry, who called 2020 “a year we could have never imagined,” and spoke about the lessons of the past 12 months, saying, “As we come to the end of this year and look to the future, let’s hold onto the lessons we’ve learned about how important it is to take care of one another, and how meaningful our connections are, even when they’re physically impossible.”
The couple’s one-year-old son, Archie, even makes an appearance at the end when Markle asks him, “Archie, is it fun?”
“Fun.” Archie says, adding an adorable “Happy New Year” for listeners.
At the end the couple played “This Little Light of Mine,” a song Markle said they played at “the very end of our wedding.”
