Why Fans Think Meghan Markle Threw 'Shade' at Kate Middleton with Her Comments on British Vogue

Louisa Ballhaus

Click here to read the full article.

It’s honestly shocking how much of an uproar Meghan Markle’s guest-edited Vogue has created — both from supporters and detractors. While fans of the Duchess overwhelmingly admire her Vogue issue, they did think one comment raised a question: does Meghan judge Kate Middleton for being on a magazine cover? Meghan reportedly didn’t want to be on the cover of Vogue, though she had the option. And the wording of how Meghan turned it down has some fans questioning whether her words were intended as a dig at sister-in-law Kate.

British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful described Meghan’s hesitation like this: “From the very beginning, we talked about the cover — whether she would be on it or not,” he writes in her September issue of Vogue. “In the end, she felt that it would be in some ways a ‘boastful’ thing to do for this particular project. She wanted, instead, to focus on the women she admires.”

More from SheKnows

So far, so good, right? Wrong! As it happens, Kate herself appeared on the cover of Vogue in 2016 (though we don’t remember her getting nearly as much backlash at the time). Given that, some fans are taking Meghan’s “boastful” comment as a criticism of Kate’s 2016 cover. “MM didn’t want to be boastful by appearing on the cover (& a dig at all the royal ladies who did appear on Vogue covers) but her editorial is full of ‘me me me,’ one tweet reads. “Meghan Markle said appearing on the cover of her Vogue issue would have been ‘boastful,’ even though Kate Middleton did it 3 years ago,” another chimes in. “LOL Love the SHADE !!! YAS Duchess !!!”

As you may recall, we currently have no reason to believe these two Duchesses are in any sort of disagreement — in fact, they’ve been getting along better than ever on their last few outings, including a day with just the ladies at Wimbledon. Their kids are going on playdates, and there are even reports that they text regularly. So why are people fanning the flames now, whether it’s in support of Meghan or against her?

Obviously, Meghan wasn’t railing against the practice of being on a magazine cover overall — as a successful actress-turned-royal, she graced her fair share of covers herself. But for this issue of Vogue, Meghan’s focus was “forces for change:” highlighting inspiring women who are helping turn the world into a better place. In that context, wouldn’t it be boastful for Meghan to name herself on that list?

Kate’s Vogue cover had no such theme, nor was she editing the issue. Instead, her appearance commemorated the National Portrait Gallery’s Vogue exhibition. Were Meghan asked to be on the cover of a magazine to celebrate a UK museum featuring said magazine, it’s unlikely that she would find it “boastful.” So, let’s all stop pretending that these two situations are the same, and get back to celebrating these two strong women and their friendship.

If we hear one more negative word about Meghan’s involvement in Vogue, it’ll be a thousand words too many. On the other hand, if you’d actually like to read it, head to the nearest newsstand — the issue comes out today!

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.