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Who's on Meghan Markle's magazine cover?

Meghan-examining-some-clothes.Image source, @SussexRoyal
Image caption,

The Duchess of Sussex wanted to celebrate women who 'break barriers'

The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle is the guest editor of British Vogue's famous September issue, which is said to be the magazine's most important issue of the year.

She is the first person to be invited to do so and has called her issue Forces for Change.

The front cover features 15 women who the Duchess feels are trying to bring big changes to society.

These include activist Greta Thunberg, actress Jameela Jamil and Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern.

Through the project, which the Duchess has been working on since January, she said she wants "to take the year's most-read fashion issue and steer its focus to the values, causes and people making impact in the world today".

Find out more about her issue below and head to the comments to let us know who would be on your front cover if you were designing a magazine about people who've changed the world.

Image source, Peter Lindbergh
Image caption,

First row: Adut Akech, Gemma Chan, Greta Thunberg, Jameela Jamil; Second Row: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Adwoa Aboah, Jacinda Ardern; Third Row: Francesca Hayward, Ramla Ali, Christy Turlington, Salma Hayek; Fourth Row: Sinead Burke, Jane Fonda, Laverne Cox and Yara Shahidi

Who are the women on the British Vogue cover?

  • Greta Thunberg - climate change activist

  • Jacinda Ardern - Prime Minister of New Zealand

  • Jane Fonda - actress and political activist

  • Salma Hayek - actress and human rights campaigner

  • Laverne Cox - actress, transgender woman and LGBTQ+ advocate

  • Jameela Jamil - actress, presenter and body positivity activist

  • Yara Shahidi - actress and campaigner for education

  • Gemma Chan - actress and gender pay gap campaigner

  • Christy Turlington - model and public health activist

  • Adwoa Aboah - model and mental health activist

  • Adut Akech - model, refugee and campaigner for racial equality

  • Ramla Ali - boxer, refugee and first Muslim woman to win an English boxing title

  • Sinead Burke - writer, disability advocate and academic

  • Francesca Hayward - principal ballet dancer in London's Royal Ballet and star of Cats film

  • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - author and feminist advocate

The Duchess of Sussex said: "I hope readers feel as inspired as I do, by the forces for change they'll find within these pages."

On the front of the magazine in the second row, there is also a mirror, which encourages the reader to see themselves as a force for change as well.

The cover was photographed by Peter Lindbergh - his first cover for the magazine since September 1992.

What else is in the issue?

The Duchess has written her own introduction for the issue, with a special guest editor's letter.

She has included an interview with the former First Lady Michelle Obama, while there is also an interview with famous biologist Dr Jane Goodall, which was carried out by her husband Prince Harry.

Image source, AFP / Getty Images
Image caption,

Vogue's next September issue will feature an interview with former First Lady Michelle Obama

Why is the Vogue September issue such a big deal?

For the fashion world, September is like January - it is the start of a new year and time for fresh starts.

People are often changing over their wardrobes from summer to winter clothes, so fashion magazines tend to reflect this.

Vogue isn't the only magazine that makes a big deal out of its September edition, with other fashion publications seeing the ninth month as an opportunity to be more bold with their covers and content.

But as the biggest fashion magazine in the world, Vogue's September issue is widely accepted as the most influential.

Vogue: Did you know...?
  • The US September issue in 2012 was a whopping 912 pages long (the longest issue to date)

  • Over 90 dogs have appeared on covers of the magazine

  • The first issue of Vogue, published in 1892, cost just 10 cents - that's 8p!

The edition is typically longer (not least as lots of companies want to advertise in it, but also because of new autumn/winter clothes), more creative and more daring than other magazines throughout the year.

A big documentary about Vogue called The September Issue was released in 2009, featuring US Vogue editor Anna Wintour. This made it even more significant.

Who would you want on your magazine front cover?

If you were making a magazine about people who have made amazing changes to the world, who would you want to put on your front cover? And why?

Let us know who you'd choose in the comments below!