Meghan Markle genuinely believed she landed the cover of Vanity Fair due to her groundbreaking charity work, rather than the far more obvious reason—her relationship with a prince. Graydon Carter, the former editor of the prestigious magazine, recently revealed the real story to Page Six, and the level of self-delusion is astonishing.
Back in 2017, when Meghan was a relatively unknown actress with a minor role on Suits, she somehow secured a Vanity Fair cover. According to Carter, the idea was pitched to him by Jane Sarkin, who was responsible for booking cover stars. His immediate response to her suggestion was, “I have no idea who that is.” Sarkin then clarified, “Because she’s going to marry Prince Harry.” And just like that, the decision was made—not because of her acting, not because of her supposed philanthropy, but solely because she was romantically linked to British royalty.
Despite the reality of the situation, Meghan appeared to believe otherwise. During the actual interview, she reportedly asked the journalist, “Excuse me, is this all going to be about Prince Harry? Because I thought we were going to discuss my charities and philanthropy.” Carter, for his part, couldn’t help but be amused, later commenting that Markle seemed somewhat detached from reality. Translation: she was entirely out of touch. Naturally, the magazine ran the story with the headline Meghan Markle: Wild About Harry—because, let’s face it, that was the only reason the public had any interest in her.
The idea that Vanity Fair would put someone on its cover purely for charity work is, quite frankly, absurd. These covers are reserved for A-list celebrities, fashion icons, and individuals with serious influence in the entertainment industry. If philanthropy is mentioned at all, it’s usually just a footnote to make a star seem more well-rounded—it is never the main selling point. And despite Meghan’s apparent belief that she was a modern-day Mother Teresa, her philanthropic efforts were minimal at best. Before her relationship with Harry, she wasn’t widely recognized for anything significant. Her role on Suits was minor—she was literally sixth on the call sheet—and her charity work mostly consisted of well-curated photo ops, where she posed with children in developing nations while cycling through outfit changes like a personal fashion campaign.
Carter, who had longstanding ties to Princess Diana, also weighed in on how she might have felt about the rift between Harry and his family. According to him, Diana would have been devastated to see her son become estranged from his father and brother. And let’s be honest—anyone with common sense can see that Meghan has played a significant role in that division. When someone drives a wedge between siblings, the outcome is never good. But self-reflection has never been Markle’s strong suit; she prefers to portray herself as the perpetual victim.
What makes Carter’s revelations particularly damning is that he isn’t just some tabloid writer or online commentator—he is a highly respected journalist and former editor of one of the world’s most prestigious magazines. If someone of his stature is openly calling out her delusions, it’s a sign that her reputation is in free fall. No one in the media or high society fears burning bridges with her anymore because, quite simply, she has nothing left to offer them.
So while Meghan Markle may have convinced herself that she earned that Vanity Fair cover through her charitable work, the truth is crystal clear to everyone else—including Graydon Carter. She was featured because of Prince Harry, and no matter how hard she tries to rewrite history, she remains little more than a royal footnote.
