‘Anna wasn't interested': Meghan Markle's alleged Vogue demands revealed after failed attempts to secure ‘global covers'

Sky News AU

7 days ago

Extraordinary new details have emerged about Meghan Markle's failed attempts to secure a coveted Vogue magazine cover.
The iconic fashion magazine currently has 28 international editions worldwide and has a long history of photographing A-list stars, supermodels, politicians and royals.
The Duchess of Sussex has not appeared on any Vogue covers to date but did 'guest edit' an issue of British Vogue in 2019 while she was still a working royal.
Meghan's collaboration on the issue with British Vogue Editor-in-chief Edward Enninful reportedly sparked a fast friendship.
Enninful is even thought to have gently convinced Markle not to appear on the cover of the issue she guest edited to ensure the Duchess of Sussex did not look 'boastful'.
In his editor's letter for the issue, Enninful publicly praised Meghan for graciously declining to appear on the cover despite reports she was initially insistent on gracing the cover herself.
"From the very beginning, we talked about the cover—whether she would be on it or not," he wrote.
"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."
However, the friendship began to fray when Markle visited the United Kingdom to appear at the One Young World Summit in Manchester in 2022, which she allegedly hoped to spin into an elusive British Vogue cover.
According to a report by the Daily Mail last week, talks between Markle and Enninful broke down after Meghan insisted on a cover, while Enninful could only offer a feature inside the magazine.
Enninful already had legendary Supermodel Linda Evangelista booked for the September issue – known within the industry as the most important issue of the year - and the Markle collaboration was scrapped entirely.
A source inside Vogue has since spoken to the New York Post and claimed that Markle not only wanted the cover of British Vogue but expected to be on the cover of American Vogue simultaneously.
Meghan's 'global cover' pitch also came with an extensive list of demands and went all the way up to American Vogue's high priestess Dame Anna Wintour.
'Meghan asked for control over (the) photographer, writer, final edit, photos, cover lines, and wanted a global issue,' the source said on Saturday.
'Nobody gets that. Not even Beyoncé.'
It is possible that Markle took cues from popstar Adele, who became the only celebrity to date to appear on both British and American Vogue simultaneously in November 2021.
According to the New York Post, Markle even set up a personal Zoom call with Wintour in order to pitch her on the idea directly.
'Anna wasn't interested,' says the source, adding the mag already had its own cover star, tennis great and Markle's pal Serena Williams.
'Meghan asked for a Zoom with her to reconsider, and Anna did it to be polite.'
Meanwhile, it was revealed earlier this year that Wintour had pitched Princess Catherine with nearly the same idea that Markle presented in 2022.
According to an unnamed source at the Daily Mail, Wintour offered Kate her own 'global cover' with full photographer and article approval.
The Princess of Wales previously appeared on British Vogue's centenary issue in 2016 as the Duchess of Cornwall, which became one of the magazine's highest selling issues ever.