Meghan Markle’s ‘impossible’ demands for Vogue covers
Meghan Markle’s impossible list of demands caused a huge rift with the top editors at Vogue, it has been claimed.
The alleged rift between Meghan Markle and former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful goes deeper than him reportedly being unable to accommodate her for a cover in 2022, we hear.
The former royal gave the fashion maven an impossible list of demands, and even tried to also appeal to US Vogue’s Anna Wintour, a source tells Page Six.
The Daily Mail reported this week that Meghan and Enninful had plans for a UK Vogue September 2022 issue that would include Meghan’s keynote appearance at the One Young World Summit in Manchester, and “involved extensive features across the magazine and its digital editions.”
The outlet reported that Meghan wanted the cover, but Enninful already had a star, Linda Evangelista, booked — causing Meghan to pull the plug and causing a falling out between the former friends.
But we hear scheduling wasn’t the only reason the cover never materialised.
A source tells us Meghan wanted a “global cover,” appearing on the covers of UK and US Vogue simultaneously, along with a list of demands.
“Meghan asked for control over [the] photographer, writer, final edit, photos, cover lines, and wanted a global issue,” says a source.
We hear there was no way any editor would agree.
“Nobody gets that. Not even Beyoncé,” says the source.
We hear Meghan even set up a personal Zoom call with Wintour in order to try and pitch her on the idea.
“Anna wasn’t interested,” says the source, adding the mag already had its own cover star, Serena Williams.
While Meghan was not in the running, the source tells us: “Meghan asked for a Zoom with her to reconsider, and Anna did it to be polite.”
Adele is the only celebrity to appear on both US and UK covers simultaneously for the November 2021 issues.
However, another source insisted that Meghan never sought a cover from Vogue, and that the mag had actually approached her multiple times after her wedding to Prince Harry.
Enninful had previously asked Meghan to be on the cover of British Vogue’s 2019 “Forces for Change” issue, but she chose to guest edit instead, the source said.
Meghan did wind up getting a September 2022 cover, at the time she was promoting her now failed “Archetypes” podcast.
She appeared on the digital cover of New York magazine’s the Cut, which also featured another digital cover with Megan Thee Stallion.
She was also slated to appear on the cover of Variety that month, but it was held a month after Queen Elizabeth II passed away.
Sources told Daily Mail that Meghan and Enninful — who quit British Vogue in February — are no longer on speaking terms.
“The duchess and her team had high expectations and were expecting she might get a print cover or at least a digital cover out of it, but Enninful was not able to meet those expectations. He already had a magazine cover in the bag for that month,” an insider said.
“Edward was furious to have lost the project, as were the powers that be at Condé Nast,” said the source.
“The whole process became very difficult. Edward could only promise her a big showy feature inside the magazine and online — but she turned it down,” they added.
Despite the claims, Page Six has also heard that the relationship between Meghan and Enninful has “remained warm and respectful” over the years, with the pair exchanging birthday wishes and flowers.
MEGHAN’S PHOTOGRAPHER REVEALS STERN PALACE WARNING
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding photographer has revealed the stern warning palace officials issued to the guests before the royal nuptials in 2018.
Alexi Lubomirski, who was selected to take the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 2017 engagement photos, was asked to capture the couple’s wedding the following year.
Taking to TikTok, the royal snapper shared some rare insight into the day of the wedding photo-shoot at Windsor Castle, as well as the strict guidance palace staffers provided ahead of the big day
“Ladies and gentlemen, please be careful what you are saying to each other because the world can lip read,” guards stationed outside of the castle told wedding guests upon arrival, Lubomirski said.
“As you walk in, you see a lot of people sort of talking like this,” the British photographer said in the video, partially obscuring his mouth with his hand.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, but everyone on these cameras is watching and lip-reading,” he added.
On the big day, Lubomirski snapped photographs of Prince Harry and Meghan, their families and the wedding guests.
Detailing the daunting job, he said that he approached the Invictus Games founder for tips on how best to photograph his family.
In response, he was told to be quick when taking photos of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip.
“[He said], ‘You know, they’re very old, they’ve taken so many pictures in their life. If you don’t get it quickly, they’re going to just move out,’” Lubomirski recalled.
Lubomirski took a little bit longer than usual when setting up his equipment, and apologised to the late Queen profusely for the delay.
“It’s not me you need to worry about,” the beloved former monarch told him, pointing to her husband.
When it came to getting the perfect shot of the royal children, Lubomirski’s secret weapon was lollies.
After getting the perfect group photo, the photographer recalled having the Sussexes pose for him in an intimate setting away from the guests and family members.
“There was this sense of relief and beauty and joy, and they just slumped on the stairs and I got this picture,” he said, referring to the famous black-and-white image of the royal couple.
Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer’s famous photo served as inspiration for the snapshot.
“There was this moment of laughter between them, and it was so beautiful,” he said in another TikTok video. “I was so excited to get that picture.”
The Sussexes famously exchanged vows at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.
Less than two years later, they quit as working members of the royal family and moved to Montecito, California.
On Monday, the pair celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary, with the As Ever founder sharing a series of never-before-seen snaps to mark the occasion.
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Originally published as Meghan Markle’s ‘impossible’ demands for Vogue covers