The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, is set to make history as the first guest editor of British Vogue's September issue, a role she secured through a mysterious email signed simply 'M'. Vogue's editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, revealed that Meghan sent the brief message in January, requesting a meeting at Kensington Palace to discuss contributing to the magazine.
Initially approached for a cover feature, Meghan pushed for greater involvement. In her editor's letter, she admitted to typing and deleting the question multiple times before asking Enninful if she could guest-edit the entire issue. Enninful agreed 'in less than a minute', and the pair embarked on nearly nine months of secret planning with a skeleton staff, keeping most Vogue employees unaware of the guest editor's identity.
The resulting 'Forces for Change' issue features a cover with 15 women, mostly activists and politicians from non-white backgrounds, alongside a small mirrored panel for readers. Meghan commissioned pieces from Michelle Obama on motherhood and Prince Harry interviewing primatologist Dr Jane Goodall. Enninful noted that Meghan edited every page and insisted the mirrored cover panel was her own idea.
Meghan's involvement included multiple meetings at Kensington Palace and later Frogmore Cottage as her due date approached. The September issue, traditionally the year's most important, marks the first time an outsider has guest-edited it. A behind-the-scenes video shared on the Sussexes' Instagram shows Meghan, visibly pregnant, working with Enninful on the issue.
