Meghan Markle's 'demanding' phone call with Anna Wintour that sparked Vogue chaos
Meghan Markle reportedly went over Edward Enninful's head to Anna Wintour to ask for a US and UK cover of Vogue after the then-editor refused her six demands.
When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, guest edited an issue of British Vogue in 2019, it flew off the shelves in just 10 days, becoming the fastest-selling issue in the history of the renowned fashion magazine.
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, fresh reports have suggested 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 approached US Vogue boss Anna Wintour with her requests after her friend had said they simply weren't possible to fulfil at that time.
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, reports the Mirror.
However, one publication 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 Page Six. 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, who is close pals with Meghan, was lined up for the US magazine front, while supermodel Linda Evangelista graced the UK's cover. Despite Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful reportedly telling Meghan it wasn't doable to meet her six stipulations, it's claimed that the Duchess went over his head directly to Vogue supremo Anna Wintour.
Wintour, the inspiration behind the formidable character in 'The Devil Wears Prada', was not swayed by Meghan's attempt to secure a double cover coup. "Anna wasn't interested," a source relayed to Page Six. "Meghan asked for a Zoom with her to reconsider, and Anna did it to be polite.
"There's talk of Enninful turning down the requests from the Duchess, sparking a bit of a tiff between them, although sources seem divided on how strained things actually got. Reportedly, Meghan ditched the planned spread after being rebuffed by both Enninful and Wintour, leaving Enninful seething."
A spokesperson told The Daily Mail: "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."
Adding more context, the source noted: "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. "
An insider informed the Mail that there's been a significant falling out between the Duchess and her one-time pal, the ex-British Vogue editor, resulting in the two not speaking to each other anymore.
Contrastingly, individuals speaking to Page Six maintain that despite previous disagreements regarding the extent of Meghan's visibility in 2022, the pair maintain a "warm and respectful" rapport, reportedly still exchanging birthday wishes and occasionally sending flowers to each other.
While Meghan has not yet graced the cover of the prestigious fashion magazine, Princess Kate made headlines with her appearance on Vogue in 2016 for its centenary edition, complete with a multi-page, glossy feature celebrating her affection for rural life.
Vogue also famously spotlighted Princess Diana on its front page four times, while Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been covered extensively with interviews and features in the publication.Recently, there has been buzz around Princess Kate being presented with an opportunity for a "global cover" on the magazine, suggesting she might dominate both the UK and US editions.
Reports from the Mail suggest she could be given substantial editorial influence, including choosing her own photographer, dictating fashion pieces, and deciding on whether to partake in an interview or not. It was reported that Anna Wintour made the offer herself, but a month later, she denied any knowledge of it during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace where she was made a Companion of Honour by King Charles, saying: "Yeah, I don't know where those have come from, do you?".
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