The Meghan Markle Saga: Vanity Fair Cover Fallout and the 'Undine Spragg' Nickname

Meghan Markle's Royal Rumble: The Duchess of Sussex's War with Vanity Fair and British Vogue

It's been a tumultuous few years for Meghan Markle, the former Suits actress turned Duchess of Sussex. From her highly publicized romance with Prince Harry to her high-profile feud with the British media, Meghan has made headlines time and time again. But what's behind the Duchess's apparent disdain for certain publications? And how did it all start?

According to author Tom Bower, in his book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors, Meghan was thrilled when she landed a cover story with Vanity Fair in 2017. The article, which featured a glamorous photo of the Duchess on the cover with the headline "She's Just Wild About Harry," was supposed to focus on her philanthropy and the celebration of Suits' 100th episode.

However, things took a turn when Meghan began speaking openly about her relationship with Prince Harry. In an interview with Vanity Fair contributor Sam Kashner, she revealed: "We're a couple. We're in love." The Palace was reportedly caught off guard by Meghan's candor, and the article sparked sensational reactions.

But it seems that Meghan wasn't too happy with how things went down either. Within hours of the magazine's pre-publication copies being distributed, Meghan called her PR firm to express her "hysterical" dismay at the Palace's reaction. According to Bower, Meghan thought the article was negative and focused too much on Harry.

Fast-forward to 2019, when Meghan guest-edited the September issue of British Vogue, featuring 15 "trailblazing change makers" on its cover. While the issue became the fastest-selling in the magazine's history, selling out in just ten days, critics pointed out that the Queen was nowhere to be seen among the 15 women the Duchess admired.

And why did Meghan only carry out a mere 22 royal engagements during her seven months as an unpaid guest editor? Royal author Robert Lacey wrote about the huge unpaid time commitment Meghan made to the magazine in his book Battle of Brothers, raising questions about the Duchess's priorities and work ethic.

But it wasn't just British Vogue that had issues with Meghan. In a scathing article published by The Scholarly Note (formerly Daily Mail), former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter compared Meghan to Edith Wharton's tragicomic heroine Undine Spragg in his book The Custom of the Country, describing her as "the most entitled, disingenuous people on the planet."

And it seems that Meghan's behavior didn't go unnoticed by Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue. According to insiders, Meghan was being "difficult" about making a cover appearance in 2022 and insisted on particular straplines, leading Wintour to ban her from appearing on the cover.

Legendary former Tatler editor Tina Brown weighed in on the controversy, blasting Meghan for having "the worst judgment of anyone in the entire world." Brown, who wrote the bestselling royal biography The Palace Papers, said: "The trouble with Meghan is that she has the worst judgment of anyone in the entire world. She's flawless about getting it all wrong."

As for the latest bombshell article from Vanity Fair, which claimed that some people who worked with Meghan ended up needing therapy and that she allegedly didn't come up with the idea for her Spotify podcast Archetypes, the Duchess and Prince Harry have dismissed the allegations as "distressing."

But what's clear is that Meghan Markle has been at war with certain publications and individuals in the media for a while now. Whether it's her perceived arrogance, her supposed micromanaging, or simply her willingness to speak truth to power, one thing is certain: the Duchess of Sussex has no qualms about throwing shade.

As the old saying goes, "you can't have your cake and eat it too." And for Meghan Markle, it seems that this age-old adage may be more relevant than ever.