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TL; DR: 

  • Meghan Markle guest-edited the September 2019 issue of British Vogue.  
  • According to royal biographer Tom Bower, Meghan Markle feuded with the magazine’s staff.
  • The author cited “silent exasperation” from staff and a disagreement over the issue’s release date.

A royal biographer says Meghan Markle clashed with staff when she guest-edited British Vogue’s September 2019 issue. In his book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, Tom Bower wrote there’d been conflict over the Duchess of Sussex’s suggestions for the issue and the release date.

Meghan Markle guest-edited the September issue of British Vogue in 2019

Little more than a year after officially joining the royal family Meghan made headlines for guest-editing British Vogue’s September issue. “Forces for Change” featured 15 women as “game changers.” They included Jane Fonda, Joni Mitchell, Laverne Cox, and Gemma Chan among others.

Meghan didn’t appear on the cover. Instead, black-and-white portraits of the aforementioned “game changers” did. Also on the cover was a mirror. “A space for you, the reader, to see yourself. Because you, too, are part of this collective,” Meghan explained in British Vogue.  

Some suggested she copied a book cover. Others claimed Meghan dissed Kate Middleton and Princess Diana. Prince Harry didn’t get by unscathed either. He came under fire for making a comment about only having two children. 

Despite the controversy, Meghan’s first time as a guest editor was successful. In February 2020, Enninful took to Instagram to announce that “Forces for Change” had become the “fastest-selling issue” in British Vogue’s history, selling out in 10 days.

Meghan Markle's British Vogue September 2019 cover featuring 'game changers'
September 2019 cover of British Vogue | Peter Lindbergh/Kensington Palace via Getty Images

Royal biographer claims British Vogue staffers exhibited ‘silent exasperation’ toward Meghan Markle

Per an excerpt of Revenge in The Times, Bower claimed Meghan guest-editing British Vogue wasn’t without challenges. He described the relationship between Meghan and Enninful and his staff became strained. 

“I want to break the internet,” the royal biographer claimed Meghan said in a conference call to Enninful’s staff. “Listening to the duchess,” Bower wrote, “the editorial team’s expressions showed silent exasperation.”

He went on, saying British Vogue staffers didn’t think much of Meghan’s suggestions. “They believed most of her contributions were superficial, lacking rhyme or reason. To avoid confrontation she was never asked to explain,” Bower wrote. “Meghan’s description of those conversations was ‘philosophising [sic] with Ed over a steaming cup of mint tea.’”

The relationship supposedly ‘deteriorated’ when Meghan Markle asked to delay the issue’s release by a day

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Also in Revenge, due out July 21, 2022, Bower claimed Meghan’s relationship with Vogue took a turn for the worse following a request. After the announcement of Meghan as guest editor, the author claimed Meghan told Sara Latham, her head of communications, to request a delay in publication. 

Bower said Meghan wanted to wait “one day to let publication in the U.S. release take the lead.” He went on, saying Meghan’s “order” suggested she’d been “relying on her American advisors.” Additionally, that she “hoped that a palace request to Enninful would be obeyed.” 

“Once Latham’s demand was rejected, the relationship between Meghan and Vogue‘s staff deteriorated,” Bower said. “Their conflict was about control.”

Furthermore, the biographer said Buckingham Palace wasn’t aware of Meghan guest-editing British Vogue. 

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