'Meghan Markle refuses to listen': Duchess's British Vogue cover draws criticism

Elizabeth Di Filippo
·Lifestyle & Features Editor
·2 min read
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Image via Getty Images.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Image via Getty Images.

Meghan Markle is already being slammed less than 24 hours after revealing the cover of the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest edited.

Although originally tapped to appear on the cover of the coveted issue, the Duchess of Sussex felt her presence would be too “boastful.” Instead, the royal chose to work quietly behind the scenes, opting to use the cover to showcase women she admires. Tthe women featured were hand-selected by the Duchess, a fervent supporter of women’s rights, and include high-profile actors, activists and creatives like Salma Hayek, Jane Fonda and Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern.

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We are proud to announce that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Sussex is the Guest Editor for the September issue of @BritishVogue. For the past seven months, The Duchess has curated the content with British Vogue's Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful to create an issue that highlights the power of the collective. They have named the issue: “Forces for Change” For the cover, The Duchess chose a diverse selection of women from all walks of life, each driving impact and raising the bar for equality, kindness, justice and open mindedness. The sixteenth space on the cover, a mirror, was included so that when you hold the issue in your hands, you see yourself as part of this collective. The women on the cover include: @AdwoaAboah @AdutAkech @SomaliBoxer @JacindaArdern @TheSineadBurke @Gemma_Chan @LaverneCox @JaneFonda @SalmaHayek @FrankieGoesToHayward @JameelaJamilOfficial @Chimamanda_Adichie @YaraShahidi @GretaThunberg @CTurlington We are excited to announce that within the issue you’ll find: an exclusive interview between The Duchess and former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, a candid conversation between The Duke of Sussex and Dr Jane Goodall, inspirational articles written by Brené Brown, Jameela Jamil and many others. Equally, you’ll find grassroots organisations and incredible trailblazers working tirelessly behind the scenes to change the world for the better. “Guest Editing the September issue of British Vogue has been rewarding, educational and inspiring. To deep dive into this process, working quietly behind the scenes for so many months, I am happy to now be able to share what we have created. A huge thanks to all of the friends who supported me in this endeavour, lending their time and energy to help within these pages and on the cover. Thank you for saying “Yes!” - and to Edward, thank you for this wonderful opportunity.” - The Duchess of Sussex #ForcesForChange

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 28, 2019 at 2:26pm PDT

“We’ve been working on this for seven months and the Duchess was hands on from the very beginning,” British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful told Good Morning America. “Meghan, with this issue, wanted to sort of put across these incredible change makers. The message is female empowerment and also the message is about sort of staking your claim in the world and being unafraid and that’s why we called it ‘Forces for Change.’”

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Although Markle chose to feature a diverse group of women, her choice has drawn criticism from some regarding one noticeable absence: Queen Elizabeth.

“Of all the women Meghan Markle selected, she did not choose The Queen, the original feminist,” one disatisfied Twitter user wrote. “Anyone could learn volumes from her - yet Meghan Markle refuses to listen.”

Others pointed out that the Duchess should have used her platform to feature women women without large online followings.

“Not just the Queen for example, a doctor or nurse, a teacher, lawyer - so many women contribute to our society in many different ways,” wrote a Twitter user.

“[Markle] doesn’t elevate any real contributors to society,” another wrote of the women featured. “Where are the physicians, scientists and the actual trailblazers. Come on, actresses don’t really count. Let’s be real. I definitely do not understand the significance of her list.”

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In order to represent all women into the narrative for change, Markle and Enninful purposely left the 16th square of the magazine as a mirror, to feature the reader among the women featured.

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