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Graydon Carter, the former editor of Vanity Fair magazine, has revealed what reportedly happened behind the scenes when Meghan Markle appeared on the cover of the publication in 2017
Meghan Markle is facing fresh claims about her behaviour behind the scenes as a former editor of Vanity Fair magazine has taken a scathing swipe at Duchess.
Back in 2017, when she was still playing Rachel Zane on Suits and before she got married to Prince Harry, Meghan appeared on the front cover of the glossy publication, where she opened up on acting, her upbringing and life in the spotlight. However, tensions arose when the magazine hit the shelves, as a row reportedly broke out between the publication, Meghan and her publicist – not long after her romance with Harry had gone public.
The cover and interview, which had been approved at the time by Kensington Palace, showed a glamorous picture of Meghan with the headline ‘She’s Just Wild About Harry’. Inside, she talked about her love story with her now husband and confirmed, «We’re in love». However, according to respected former Times royal correspondent Valentine Low, Meghan hated the piece and was furious with her PR rep as she did not like the photos, thought the story was negative and focused too much on Harry.
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In his book Courtiers, it is also claimed she viewed the headline on the cover as ‘racist’. The book says: «She and Harry pointed out that the song, ‘I’m Just Wild About Harry’, had been performed by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney as a blackface number in the 1939 film Babes in Arms. ‘They [Harry and Meghan] tried to get it changed online, because [they thought] it had been racially motivated,’ said the source.
And now, more than seven years after the cover was released, fresh details have emerged about the bombshell interview as Graydon Carter, who was at the helm of the glossy magazine for 25 years, has opened up on what it was like working with Meghan, during an explosive interview with Page Six.
It comes as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle found themselves at the centre of a brutal takedown by the same magazine earlier this year. The US title delved into the Sussexes’ lives five years since they decided to quit as working royals, and the allegations sent shockwaves across the internet. It made claims about what it is like to work for the couple and even featured complaints from the neighbours in their town of Montecito.
However, the claims are at complete odds with what Netflix staff experienced on set of the Duchess’ new show, With Love Meghan. One unnamed staffer called working with Meghan a ‘refreshing experience’ and praised her generosity. Here, The Mirror takes a look at the Graydon’s wild claims as Meghan and Harry’s so-called feud with the publication rumbles on…
Editor ‘didn’t know who Meghan was’
Prior to getting engaged to Prince Harry, Meghan starred in the legal drama Suits, having joined the show in 2011. During her time in the drama Meghan played paralegal turned lawyer Rachel Zane.
Although the show was watched for a total of 57.7 billion minutes on Netflix in 2023, making it the platform’s most watched show, at the time of Meghan’s interview, Graydon said he didn’t know who she was. «I said, ‘I have no idea what that is, why should we do a story on her?’,» he revealed.
Instead, he said that he was convinced to put the Duchess of Sussex on the cover when a colleague informed him that it was likely she’d go on to marry Prince Harry. In November 2017, a month after the cover story was released, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their engagement.
‘Meghan’s baffling question’
According to Graydon, Meghan believed that the publication should be more interested in her charity work than her relationship. Prior to marrying Prince Harry, Meghan was a campaigner and showed an interest in a variety of humanitarian causes, including in relation to women’s rights. Aged just 11, she wrote a letter to Hillary Clinton, criticising an ad strapline for some washing up liquid that said ‘Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans’. Following the letter, manufacturers of the washing up liquid changed the word «women» to «people». She now continues important charity work with Prince Harry.
Graydon claims that Meghan expressed concern about the interview focusing on her relationship. He alleged that she said: «Excuse me, is this going to all be about Prince Harry? Because I thought we were going to be talking about my charities and my philanthropy.» In a scathing remark, he added: «This woman is slightly adrift on the facts and reality.»
Diana bombshell
Elsewhere in the interview, the editor, who’d crossed paths with the late Princess Diana, gave his opinion on what she’d have made of Prince Harry and Meghan’s new life. In January 2020, the pair, «after many months of reflection and internal discussions», revealed that they were stepping back as senior royals.
Speaking of what he thought Princess Diana would make of their departure from royal life, Graydon said: «I would think she would feel great sorrow for her son to have been pulled away from his family like this, especially his brother but also his father. Anytime someone comes between siblings that’s a disaster, horrible for a family.»
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex now live in Montecito, California with their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three – whom Meghan today shared an incredibly personal rare snap of. As part of their new lifestyle, Prince Harry and Meghan have embarked on a series of different ventures, including the release of Harry’s controversial memoir Spare and Meghan’s new Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
Netflix staff hit back
Graydon’s account appears to be world’s apart from what the staff working on the set of the Duchess’ new Netflix show experienced. Lifting the lid of their experience of filming with the former actress, one of the Netflix crew members has praised Meghan, saying they were surprised by how ‘seen’ she made them feel.
One unnamed staffer explained that she laid on a coffee station in the morning and had ice-cream and shaved ice brought in for crew. They said: «She made sure everyone felt included, from Netflix executives to our director to every PA on set. No one was left out.»
Speaking to People, he added: «Most of the time, we’re expected to fade into the background, to be invisible. But in this show, we were part of it. We were included. It was a very unique and refreshing experience.”
Giving her take on filming the show, Meghan told the outlet, «It feels as though we’re just spending time together, which is what it ended up being. I’d make a recipe and say, ‘Everyone try this,’ and there are certain dishes where you just watch everyone flock in. I’d say, ‘We’ve run out of spoons!’ It ended up feeling so communal, and that’s the spirit of the show.»
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