Meghan Markle’s British Vogue Issue Still Holds the Record for Fastest-Selling in History

British Vogue has recently marked the fifth anniversary of Meghan Markle’s 2019 guest-edited edition, a project that not only made history but also sparked racist backlash from critics. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, broke new ground as the first royal ever to guest-edit an issue of the fashion bible. The September 2019 edition, crafted in collaboration with then-editor Edward Enninful, remains one of British Vogue’s most successful and controversial issues.

Meghan Markle’s Vision for British Vogue

Meghan Markle’s vision for the issue was to highlight women who were shaping the world with their activism, courage, and influence. Entitled Forces for Change, the issue featured 15 women of diverse backgrounds and fields on its cover. These women included leaders, activists, and artists such as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and climate activist Greta Thunberg. The unique cover, shot by renowned photographer Peter Lindbergh, also included a mirrored square, symbolizing the reader’s role as a potential force for change.

Inside the pages, Meghan conducted an intimate and inspiring interview with former First Lady Michelle Obama and included a powerful conversation between her husband, Prince Harry, and conservationist Jane Goodall. This edition of British Vogue became the fastest-selling issue in the magazine’s history and was its most significant release in a decade.

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Racist Backlash from Critics

Despite the edition’s commercial success and the important issues it addressed, Meghan Markle faced intense racist backlash from sections of the British media. Much of the criticism came from media figures who accused her of reverse-racism and bias for including predominantly women of color on the cover. In her editorial, The Telegraph journalist Camilla Tominey accused Meghan of excluding white women and implied that her selection process was discriminatory.

Tominey’s critique echoed broader racist sentiments in the media, reflecting the white-centric framing that has long dominated British press coverage. As noted in various commentaries, this narrative downplayed the systemic racial issues Meghan was attempting to address. By focusing on the racial makeup of the women featured, critics sought to shift attention away from the importance of amplifying marginalized voices, particularly women of color who have historically been denied the spotlight.

Camilla Tominey’s pattern of racially charged commentary has not ended with Meghan Markle; she has recently dubbed the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris as ‘the Meghan Markle of American politics,’ continuing her trend of dismissive attacks on successful women of color in the public eye. The criticism directed at Meghan was not unique, as other public figures of color who dared to occupy traditionally white spaces have faced similar attacks. Meghan herself noted that racial barriers have long guarded these spaces, and her presence as the first mixed-race senior member of the British royal family only intensified the scrutiny. Media commentators accused her of politicizing the monarchy, even though she was using her platform to advocate for important issues such as gender equality and racial justice.

Related | Anna Wintour Steps Down as American Vogue Editor-in-Chief

Double Standards and the Unconscious Bias Debate

The backlash against Meghan Markle also highlighted the glaring double standards that persist within British society. For example, people praised Prince Harry for guest editing BBC’s Today Programme and interviewing Barack Obama, but they criticized Meghan for working with Vogue, claiming she was pushing a political agenda. Similarly, King Charles’s two-time guest editorship of Country Life, a ‘quintessential English magazine’ with a predominantly wealthy, white readership, was commended, as was Kate Middleton’s one-day stint as guest editor of the UK’s Huffington Post, which was lauded for its focus on children’s health issues. However, when Meghan took on the guest editorship of Vogue, she was admonished for the edition’s emphasis on racial diversity. Notably, despite the Royal Family’s history of celebrating guest editorships on its official website, featuring Kate Middleton’s, Camilla’s, and Prince Harry’s work, Meghan’s groundbreaking Vogue issue remains conspicuously absent.

The way Meghan was treated shows just how deep racial biases run in the media. While Prince Harry and other royals guest-edited projects without much fuss, Meghan got accused of being racist just because she included only five white women on the Vogue cover. It sounds ridiculous, but that’s what some critics claimed. Even Edward Enninful, the editor for that issue and the first non-white editor in Vogue’s history, faced backlash. People labeled both Meghan and Enninful as ‘anti-white,’ which really shows how uncomfortable some are with seeing traditional power structures challenged. Perhaps seeing women like Kamala Harris and Meghan Markle occupy spaces traditionally dominated by white men is leaving some, like Camilla Tominey, feeling diminished and threatened by the shift in power dynamics.

The Impact of Meghan Markle’s Vogue Edition

Despite the criticism, Meghan Markle’s 2019 Vogue edition stands as a powerful statement of her commitment to uplifting marginalized voices. The issue not only broke records but also marked a significant shift in the conversation around diversity and inclusion in fashion and beyond. British Vogue’s print circulation sits at 192,000, with a readership of 861,000, and Meghan’s edition was a commercial triumph. As editor Edward Enninful proudly tweeted, “#ForcesForChange, guest edited by The Duchess of Sussex @SussexRoyal, was our fastest-selling issue in the history of #BritishVogue (sold out in 10 days).”

Meghan Markle’s guest edit of British Vogue’s 2019 September issue is the magazine’s fastest-selling issue https://t.co/79KmqcLYz3 pic.twitter.com/spLyEbgUVE

— Forbes (@Forbes) February 13, 2020

Meghan’s guest-edited edition of Vogue not only made an immediate cultural impact but also sparked ongoing discussions about race, media representation, and the British monarchy’s role in addressing social issues. Under Enninful’s leadership since 2017, British Vogue has played a vital role in Condé Nast’s financial recovery, helping the publisher report pretax profits of £2.7 million in 2018, after suffering significant losses the previous year.

As we reflect on the fifth anniversary of this iconic edition, it is clear that Meghan’s vision for change continues to resonate, challenging us to reconsider who we celebrate and why. Five years on, her guest-edited issue of British Vogue remains a testament to the power of representation and the importance of challenging systemic biases. Though the backlash she faced was harsh, it only underscored the necessity of her work. As the Duchess of Sussex continues to navigate her public role, her influence on British media and global conversations about race and equality remains significant.