The Duchess of Sussex has been named as the guest editor of the much-anticipated September issue of British Vogue. The special edition has been entitled Forces for Change and will feature a collection of changemakers who have gone to break barriers. The magazine will include a candid conversation between Meghan and former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, as well as an interview with Dr Jane Goodall – the world-renowned ethologist and primatologist – and Prince Harry. The cover of the magazine will include 15 inspirational women, including mental health campaigner Adowoa Aboah, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, actress Salma Hayek and climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg.
Meghan Markle has landed an editing role at British Vogue for the September issue
Of the issue, Meghan said in a statement: "These last seven months have been a rewarding process, curating and collaborating with Edward Enninful, British Vogue's Editor-in-Chief, to take the year's most-read fashion issue and steer its focus to the values, causes and people making impact in the world today. Through this lens I hope you'll feel the strength of the collective in the diverse selection of women chosen for the cover as well as the team of support I called upon within the issue to help bring this to light. I hope readers feel as inspired as I do, by the 'Forces for Change' they'll find within these pages."
The September cover features 15 influential women
Editor Edward Enninful also spoke about Meghan's involvement with the magazine and explained why she didn't appear on the cover with the rest of the women. "To have the country’s most influential beacon of change guest edit British Vogue at this time has been an honour, a pleasure and a wonderful surprise. As you will see from her selections throughout this magazine, she is also willing to wade into more complex and nuanced areas, whether they concern female empowerment, mental health, race or privilege. From the very beginning, we talked about the cover - whether she would be on it or not. In the end, she felt that it would be in some ways a 'boastful' thing to do for this particular project. She wanted, instead, to focus on the women she admires."
Many of the women included in the issue have met Meghan previously. Dr Jane Goodall recently revealed that she had met Meghan and Harry's baby son Archie just last month during a visit to Frogmore Cottage. She had revealed that Archie was "very cute and very gentle," and that during her meeting with the royals, Meghan had told her just how much she had inspired her. She recalled: "Harry asked if I would go and meet him. They made me a dame of the British empire so I guess he thought it would be good to meet me. And we clicked."
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She added: "I have met the Duchess once just last month and Harry twice. She told me she's followed me all her life. She told me: 'You've been my idol since I was a child. I've worshipped you all my life.' She came in at the end with Archie and I got to cuddle him!" Meghan and Harry have also been full of support for teenage climate change campaigner Greta, who they are currently following on Instagram. Jacinda Ardern is also a good friend of the couple, who they have met on several occasions.
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Meghan is the first royal to have guest-edited British Vogue, although the Duchess of Cambridge was the magazine's cover star in June 2016. Princess Diana also appeared on the cover of three British Vogue editions and one of the US Vogue covers during her life, and Princess Anne has graced British Vogue as the cover girl three times in 1971 and twice in 1973.
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