ROYALSMeghan Markle Got Upset 'Vanity Fair' Cover Story Wasn't About Her Philanthropy, Editor Says: She's 'Slightly Adrift on the Facts and Reality'
'Vanity Fair' did a cover story on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's romance in late 2017.
March 24 2025, Published 2:55 p.m. ET
Less than one year after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's romance was exposed to the public, the Duchess of Sussex graced the cover of Vanity Fair's October 2017 issue. However, former editor Graydon Carter revealed Meghan wasn't thrilled about the story since it focused heavily on her relationship with the Spare author instead of her charity work.
Former 'Vanity Fair' editor Graydon Carter claimed Meghan Markle wasn't happy with her 2017 cover story.
In a new interview, Carter revealed the issue was one of his last before retiring.
At the time, he recalled a colleague pitching to do a cover on the mom-of-two: "I said, ‘I have no idea what that is, why should we do a story on her?'"
"She said, ‘Because she’s going to marry Prince Harry,'" his coworker informed him.
The Duchess of Sussex's issue was titled 'She's Just Wild About Harry.'
Things didn't go as smoothly as either party hoped, as Carter said that during Meghan's interview, she asked, "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.'"
"This woman is slightly adrift on the facts and reality," Carter shadily added.
Carter said Meghan wanted her piece to focus on her philanthropy.
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In the end, the story was titled "She's Just Wild About Harry," and though it was mostly about their relationship and those Meghan formed with members of the royal family, such as Queen Elizabeth II, it also touched on her upbringing, acting career and philanthropy.
Two months after the piece debuted, Harry and Meghan announced their engagement, going on to tie the knot in May 2018. In 2020, the couple stepped down from their roles within the monarchy and moved out of England.
Ever since then, the parents-of-two have been criticized for their decisions and been plagued by breakup gossip, which the Duke of Sussex mentioned at The New York Times' DealBook Summit in December 2024.
"Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well," he said. "So it’s just like, what?"
"It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it," Harry continued. "The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls. Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do."
The couple's romance was uncovered in 2016.
Harry said he does his best to ignore the negativity, as his "main goal" in life is to be "the best dad and best husband."
"Living [in the U.S.] and bringing my kids up here, it’s a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live, and it feels as though it’s the life that my mom [Princess Diana] wanted for me," he gushed.
Page Six spoke to Carter about Meghan's first Vanity Fair cover story.
