Meghan Markle fails to make Vogue’s Top 25 list of influential women – but The Queen makes the cut
SHE might have guest-edited the fastest-selling Vogue issue in history – but this year, Meghan Markle has been left off the magazine’s Top 25 list of influential women.
Instead, the magazine editors have chosen to feature The Queen who has been a “source of support” to the public during the coronavirus crisis.
Introducing their annual list, the magazine says this year’s consists of “women of the moment who are leading us through 2020 with prescience, power and poise”.
Highlighting The Queen’s historic television address in April, the editors praised the “pitch perfect message” which comforted a country “grappling with fear and grief” during lockdown.
On April 5, Her Majesty sparked wartime spirit as she told Brits “we will meet again” in a message that was watched by over 24m people.
Describing why The Queen had secured a coveted spot on the list, the magazine read: “Even in 2020 – a precarious year for the Royal Family in other ways – the Queen is still a source of unique solace and support to the public.”
The Vogue 25
- Emily Maitlis – journalist
- Liza Bilal and Naomi Smith – Black Lives Matter activists
- Maria Balshaw – Tate gallery director
- Munroe Bergdorf – model and activist
- Dawn Butler – Labour MP
- Michaela Coel – writer and actress
- Pippa Crerar – journalist
- Daisy Edgar-Jones – Normal People actress
- Bernardine Evaristo – author of Girl, Woman, Other
- Dr Jenny Harries – Deputy Chief Medical Officer
- Professor Sarah Gilbert – vaccinologist
- Steph Houghton – footballer
- Nicole Jacobs – domestic abuse commissioner
- Asma Khan – chef
- Rosh Mahtani – designer
- Frances O’Grady – General Secretary of Trades Union Congress
- Florence Pugh – actress
- The Queen
- Anne Mensah – vice president of Netflix’s original series
- Emma Revie – CEO of food banks charity The Trussell Trust
- Rihanna – musician and businesswoman
- Caroline Rush – CEO of British Fashion Council
- June Sarpong – BBC’s Director of Creative Diversity
- Silvana Tenreyro – economist
- Charlotte Tilbury – businesswoman
Daisy Edgar-Jones has been deemed the “star of lockdown” for her performance in hit BBC drama Normal People while makeup mogul Charlotte Tilbury, journalist Emily Maitlis and Michaela Coel also featured.
The Queen is the only member of the Royal Family to feature in Vogue’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women list this year.
2020 marks the first year Meghan Markle hasn’t featured in the list since she married into the Royal Family – despite guest-editing Vogue’s September issue in 2019.
Last year, Meghan secured a spot on the coveted list – and was praised for how she is “gently modernising the royal family”.
In February, it was revealed that Meghan’s “Forces for Change” issue was Vogue’s fast-selling issue in history and sold the most copies in over a decade.
To celebrate the news, Meghan shared behind-the-scenes footage of her editing the issue with the magazine‘s editor Edward Enniful – which the Palace tried to ban for being ‘too casual’.
In the two minute video, Meghan sat down with British Vogue editor Edward Enninful to reflect on how they worked together for the 2019 September issue – with Edward praising the Duchess for having a natural “editor’s eye”.
The clips begins with the Duchess saying she originally got in contact with the “fashion bible” editor in January 2019 to ask if he would assist her with her Smart Works charity clothing collection.
The September issue of British Vogue is available via digital download and on newsstands today.
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