Reports have claimed that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex made a series of demands to Vogue boss Anna Wintour back in 2022 – after her requests had already been denied by the fashion magazine’s editorial team
When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, guest edited an issue of British Vogue in 2019, it sold out in just 10 days, becoming the fastest-selling issue in the iconic fashion bible’s history. The Forces for Change issue saw Meghan reportedly spend seven months working closely with former Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful on the issue that featured inspiring, trailblazing women.
However, new reports have claimed that Meghan made “demands” to the Vogue editorial team that led to an alleged falling out between the Duchess and Enninful – with Meghan said to have even gone to US Vogue boss Anna Wintour with her requests after her friend had said they simply weren’t possible to fulfill at that time.
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Meghan had been offered “extensive features across the magazine and its digital editions” that would have included coverage of her speech at the One World Summit in Manchester.
However, Page Six reports that Meghan sent Enninful a list of six requests to go ahead with the planned articles: “Meghan asked for control over [the] photographer, writer, final edit, photos, cover lines, and wanted a global issue,” a source told the outlet. Nobody gets that. Not even Beyoncé.”
Meghan is reported to have asked to be featured on the covers of the September issues of the fashion magazine in the US and UK, but on both sides of the Atlantic, Vogue editors had already booked cover stars, so it wasn’t possible to give her what she wanted.
Serena Williams, a close friend of Meghan, was due to appear on the US cover, and supermodel Linda Evangelista on the UK cover.
Despite Enninful reportedly telling Meghan that it wouldn’t be possible to meet her six demands, Meghan is said to have gone over his head to Vogue boss Anna Wintour – who the iconic film The Devil Wears Prada is based on – to try and secure a double cover in the US and the UK.
“Anna wasn’t interested,” the source told Page Six. “Meghan asked for a Zoom with her to reconsider, and Anna did it to be polite.”
Enninful is said to have refused the Duchess’s requests, but this is reported to have caused something of an argument between the pair, though sources have conflicting reports on the extent of the falling out.
Meghan is said to have pulled the plug on the entire feature that was planned after her demands were not met by either Enninful or Wintour, which left Enninful “furious”.
The Daily Mail reports a source explaining: “The duchess and her team had high expectations and were expecting she might get a print cover or at least a digital cover out of it, but Enninful was not able to meet those expectations.
“He already had a magazine cover in the bag for that month. Edward was furious to have lost the project, as were the powers that be at Condé Nast.”
The source added: “The whole process became very difficult. Edward could only promise her a big showy feature inside the magazine and online — but she turned it down.”
The source also revealed to the Mail that the incident has caused a major rift between the Duchess and her former friend, with her and the former British Vogue chief no longer speaking at all.
However, sources speaking to Page Six dispute this, saying that the pair still have something of a “warm and respectful” friendship, despite the conflict over how extensive the coverage of Meghan could be back in 2022 – and the pair are even said to still exchange birthday messages and send each other flowers on occasion.
Whilst Meghan has yet to appear on the cover of the famed fashion magazine, her sister-in-law, Princess Kate, has previously appeared. Back in 2016, the future Queen was invited to appear in the landmark issue that marked 100 years of the magazine, and the cover was accompanied by a multi-page glossy spread that highlighted Kate’s love of the countryside.
Princess Diana was also reportedly featured on the cover of Vogue four times, and the York sisters – Princess Beatrice and Eugenie – have both been the subject of multiple interviews and articles with the fashion bible.
Most recently it has been rumoured that Princess Kate was offered a “global cover” at the iconic magazine, which would see her appear on both the US and UK covers, with offers of some extensive control editorially, including being able to “choose her own photographer, be in charge of fashion choices and decide whether or not to grant an interview,” the Mail reports.
The outlet reported that Anna Wintour personally extended the offer, but a month later, the fashion icon said during an investiture at Buckingham Palace that saw her made a Companion of Honour by King Charles: “Yeah, I don’t know where those have come from, do you?”
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