EXCLUSIVE Did Meghan go toe-to-toe with Anna Wintour? Source claims Vogue editor 'banned' Duchess from cover after becoming 'frustrated' with her 'micromanaging'
Meghan Markle was 'banned' by Anna Wintour from being on the cover of British Vogue in September 2022 after the magazine boss became 'frustrated with all the Duchess of Sussex 's team's micromanaging', according to a source.
This apparently resulted in Prince Harry 's wife and the former editor of British Vogue, Edward Enninful, 'drifting apart' amid rumours in fashion circles of a falling out between the two over the planned Vogue feature on the Duchess's charitable work.
The magazine coverage was designed to tie in with Meghan's keynote appearance at the One Young World Summit in Manchester in September 2022. But Conde Nast insiders claim it was abruptly pulled and scrapped completely.
An insider told FEMAIL that Meghan was being 'difficult about making it a cover' and her team were 'insisting on particular straplines'. They added: 'Anna heard about it, and just like banned her and said, "That's it. We don't want to do this".
'And so she didn't get the cover, and I guess she didn't even get the story. [Edward] probably agreed with Anna that you don't get to call the shots on who's on the cover. That's absolutely an editor's decision.
'Anna was p***** off. Anna was like frustrated with all the micromanaging, and just was like, "All right. That's it. She can't have the cover and we're not doing the story".'
The source added that Meghan's 'level of desire for detail and control on the media is almost like Beyoncé level... but she's not Beyoncé.'
However, the Duchess is said to have been relaxed with 'no expectations' but her team had 'high expectations for the piece' in Vogue.
'Enninful was not in a position to meet those expectations. He already had a magazine cover in the bag for that month,' said Conde Nast insiders to the Mail On Sunday.
British Vogue's September 2022 cover star was Canadian fashion model Linda Evangelista.
According to insiders, the project about Meghan's work needed a full production team including photographers, videographers, stylists and editors to shoot exclusive images and film an in-depth video feature with the Sussexes.
Shelving the project is said to have damaged Enninful and the Duchess' friendship. 'Edward was furious to have lost the project, as were the powers that be at Conde Nast,' a source told the MoS.
Sources claim that Meghan's team had hoped the couple could feature on a special digital cover Vogue, which is released alongside the print edition.
But again, it is understood that Enninful declined. 'He didn't think it was appropriate to give her the cover,' the source explained.
Tight timings meant the whole project was eventually shelved and relations between the pair moved to only irregular contact.
However, a source close to the Duchess says they have been in touch again recently. In August, Edward's team sent flowers to the Duchess to mark her 43rd birthday.
Insiders admit that there has been a 'drifting' of their friendship with one source close to the Duchess saying, 'time and geography mean that Edward and Meghan just don't get to see each other as much as they did when both were living in London.'
The source continued, 'friendships drift over time, but the pair have exchanged cards and flowers for one another's birthday and text each other from time to time to offer support for one another's ventures.'
Their friendship first grew from Enninful's invitation to the Duchess to guest-edit the fashion bible six years ago. Meghan said at the time that they were 'like-minded thinkers' who enjoyed 'philosophising' over steaming cups of mint tea.
Sources add that during the years that followed Enninful has increased his public involvement with the Royal Family, and a source close to Meghan claims that 'obviously this is a tightrope that Edward has to walk. He wouldn't want to take sides'.
Enninful was initially supportive of her now-infamous 'Megxit' Oprah interview in 2021.
Enninful, who was awarded an OBE in 2016 for his services to diversity in the fashion industry, is a trustee for The King's Fund, King Charles's charity, and interviewed the monarch for Vogue when he was still Prince of Wales in 2020. He attended his coronation in 2023, despite his open support of the Sussexes.
Enninful follows all three of the King's charitable organisations on Instagram – but tellingly, does not follow Meghan or any of her enterprises. A source close to the Duchess said: 'She doesn't read anything into that because he doesn't follow his sister either.'
In 2019, Meghan and Enninful collaborated on an issue of British Vogue which became the fastest-selling in the magazine's 104-year history, selling out in ten days.
The 'Forces for Change' issue put inspirational women – including former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and actresses Gemma Chan and Jane Fonda – on the cover.
The following year Enninful addressed criticism Meghan had received when she joined the Royal Family.
He defended the Duchess, calling her a 'brave woman' and describing the treatment of her as 'very unfair' and 'harsh'.
But he said he 'wouldn't just blame it on racism', adding: 'I think sometimes it takes a minute to understand the rules.' Whether he would defend her again today is another matter.
Sources close to Meghan deny that she ever sought a Vogue cover and say she had been invited to appear.
The Duchess of Sussex's representatives were approached for comment by the MailOnline. MailOnline also approached Conde Nast for comment.
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