Prince Harry has revealed he and Meghan Markle only want two children in a bid to help save the planet.
The Duke of Sussex, 34, made the extraordinary revelation in a candid interview with conservationist Dr Jane Goodall as part of his wife’s edition of British Vogue.
Discussing the ‘terrifying’ effects of climate change, he assured her he and the Duchess, 37, are only planning on having one more child after the birth of their son Archie.
He said becoming a father has made him see the world differently and the couple only want ‘two maximum’ to help protect the environment.
By not having a child, the carbon footprint of an individual living in a developed country would be reduced on average by an extra 58.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, based on emission rates in 2017.
British charity Population Matters, of which Sir David Attenborough is the patron, is one of the leading campaigners on population control and has urged parents to ‘Stop at Two’.
However, Prince Harry’s stance is in stark contrast to his brother William and wife Kate, who already have three children, with speculation mounting a fourth could be announced soon.
The Queen meanwhile has four children, although Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne all have just two.
Despite their commitment to saving the planet, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are known for their globetrotting lifestyle and use of private jets.
In February, Meghan travelled by private jet for a five-night trip to New York City, where she was thrown a lavish baby shower by her closest friends in a $75,000-a-night penthouse.
One return flight from London to New York generates more CO2 than citizens of some countries produce in a year, according to German nonprofit Atmosfair.
Prince Harry is pictured for his interview with Dr Jane Goodall for British Vogue’s September edition, guest edited by his wife Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex is pictured at Smartworks’s London Office in preparation for her edition of British Vogue
An even longer flight in February saw Prince Harry race back from the Arctic Circle by private jet for Valentine’s Day dinner with wife Meghan.
After spending three hours with troops near the Russian border, Harry was back in London by 5pm following a 2,730-mile round trip and six hours in the air.
Prince Harry’s interview appears in the forthcoming September issue of the fashion magazine, guest-edited by Meghan Markle and featuring a cover shoot of female 15 ‘trailblazers’ and ‘changemakers’ for a special ‘Forces for Change’ issue.
The interview also saw Harry speak frankly about racism in Britain and how ‘unconscious bias’ is often passed down from generation to generation.
Meghan and Harry might want to save the planet but they’re happy to use private jets
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have repeatedly and publicly stated their desire to help save the planet and fight against climate change.
Today, their commitment reached a new level as Prince Harry announced that the couple would only have two children.
Limiting the number of children you have can reduce your carbon footprint significantly and also helps to tackle problems of overcrowding and dwindling natural resources.
However, despite today’s extraordinary declaration, there are some who have pointed out other ways the Duke and Duchess could reduce their carbon footprint – namely by cutting down on the number of flights they take.
The royals are well-known for their globetrotting and use of private jets.
In February, Meghan travelled by private jet for a five-night trip to New York City, where she was thrown a lavish baby shower by her closest friends in a $75,000-a-night penthouse.
One return flight from London to New York generates more CO2 than citizens of some countries produce in a year, according to German nonprofit Atmosfair.
An even longer flight in February saw Prince Harry race back from the Arctic Circle by private jet for Valentine’s Day dinner with Meghan.
After spending three hours with troops near the Russian border, Harry was back in London by 5pm following a 2,730-mile round trip and six hours in the air.
In September of last year, Meghan and Harry were taken by private jet to Amsterdam for the opening party of a posh members’ club.
The Royal couple then spent the evening with a host of celebrities including Eddie Redmayne, Nick Grimshaw and Jenna Coleman at the exclusive Soho House club in Amsterdam.
He told Dr Goodall, 85, Britons need to understand where their prejudices come from in order to tackle racial discrimination.
When Dr Goodall said there would be conflicts ‘over the last fertile land, the last fresh water’, Harry issued a dire warning about the consequences of mankind’s actions.
He said: ‘What we need to remind everybody is: these are things that are happening now. We are already living in it. We are the frog in the water and it’s already been brought to the boil. Which is terrifying.’
The primatologist agreed with him and said having a baby added to the concern, to which Harry replied: ‘It does make it different.’
He added: ‘I think, weirdly, because of the people that I’ve met and the places that I’ve been fortunate enough to go to, I’ve always had a connection and a love for nature.
‘I view it differently now, without question. But I’ve always wanted to try and ensure that, even before having a child and hoping to have children.’
Discussing his change in perspective about the environment, he told her: ‘I view it differently now, without question.
‘But I’ve always wanted to try and ensure that, even before having a child and hoping to have children…’
But when Dr Goodall cut in, saying: ‘Not too many…’ He replied: ‘Two, maximum!’, before the pair went on to talk about the other dangers facing the planet.
The environmental impact of having a child is calculated by factoring in not only the extra impact of the child, but also that of their potential future descendants.
British charity Population Matters is one of the leading campaigners on the thorny subject of population control.
Population Matters, of which Sir David Attenborough is the patron, has urged parents to ‘Stop at Two’.
Last year, the UK’s population saw its sharpest annual increase in nearly 70 years.
Although the Office for National Statistics said that net international migration was the main driver behind the growth, there were also rises in births and fewer deaths.
With our heavy consumption of fossil fuels such as petrol, coal and gas, Population Matters argue that we currently use nearly three times the renewable resources our land can provide.
Population Matters has thousands of members in Britain and around the world, with high-profile patrons — including Sir David Attenborough, TV naturalist Chris Packham and author Lionel Shriver — spreading the word on the dangers over-procreation presents to the planet.
Commenting on ‘unconscious bias’, Meghan Markle’s husband told Dr Goodall: ‘Despite the fact that if you go up to someone and say ‘what you’ve just said, or the way you’ve behaved, is racist’ – they’ll turn around and say, ‘I’m not a racist’.
‘I’m not saying you’re a racist, I’m just saying that your unconscious bias is proving that because of the way that you’ve been brought up, the environment you’ve been brought up in, suggests that you have this point of view – unconscious point of view – where naturally you will look at someone in a different way.’
Harry (pictured with Meghan and baby Archie when he was two days old at Windsor Castle) told Dr Goodall he sees the environment differently after becoming a father. Right, Harry’s brother Prince William already has three children, in contrast with his revelation he and Meghan want ‘two maximum’. The Duke of Cambridge is pictured with wife Kate, baby Louis, Charlotte and George in December last year
During the discussion, she said: ‘It’s crazy to think we can have unlimited economic development on a planet with finite natural resources.
‘There’s a lot of violence and war and suffering around the world today, but we’re part of the natural world, and if we can’t learn to live in harmony with it, then this is going to get worse.’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will only have two children to ‘save the planet’ – but how to do other royals compare?
Prince Harry has revealed that he and Meghan are only planning on having two children, in a bid to save the planet.
He said becoming a father has made him see the world differently and the couple only want ‘two maximum’ to help protect the environment.
By not having a child, the carbon footprint of an individual living in a developed country would be reduced on average by an extra 58.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, based on emission rates in 2017.
British charity Population Matters, of which Sir David Attenborough is the patron, is one of the leading campaigners on population control and has urged parents to ‘Stop at Two’.
However, Prince Harry’s stance is in stark contrast to his brother William and wife Kate, who already have three children, with speculation mounting a fourth could be announced soon.
The Queen also has four children, as well as eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
According to population control experts, the impact of having a child is calculated by factoring in not only the extra impact of the child, but also that of their potential future descendants.
On the other hand, most of the royal family seem to have unwittingly followed the ‘Stop at Two’ rule.
Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne all have just two children.
While, among younger royals, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips also both have just two.
The conservationist welcomed Harry to a meeting of her youth empowerment project Roots and Shoots earlier this month at Windsor Castle, where she talked about how they ‘clicked’ when they first met last December, and hoped to work together raising awareness about conservation.
She was also invited to the duke’s Frogmore Cottage home near Windsor Castle in June where she cuddled Archie, who was then five weeks old.
Dr Goodall’s lifelong work with chimpanzees has made her an international figure, and she is credited with making the first recorded observations of chimpanzees using tools and eating meat.
When Harry asked how her study of primates had impacted upon how she felt about people, the discussion turned to the issue of violence and racism.
Dr Goodall said it was ‘obvious’ mankind had ‘inherited aggressive tendencies’, but human brains were able to control anger.
The duke said the same applied to ‘unconscious bias’, where someone’s words or actions could be perceived as racist, but if confronted the person would deny it.
Dr Goodall agreed saying children of all races play together happily without noticing a difference in the colour of their skin until someone points it out to them.
Some commentators and royal fans slammed Harry after reading the article slamming his ‘track record’ and asking him to ‘stop lecturing people’.
Royal writer Phil Dampier wrote: ‘With his track record #PrinceHarry is not the best person to be lecturing the rest of us about racism or ‘unconscious bias!’ Time to put a sock in it and get out and do some down to earth Royal jobs.’
Reflecting on racism and ‘hate’, Harry added: ‘You can only be taught to hate. What can we learn from nature? People always say, there is nature, then there is us. But we are part of it – we are nature.
‘Unless we acknowledge we are part of this cycle, then we’re always going to be fighting against it. Inevitably, because we’re so good at destruction, we’ll end up winning and nature might end up losing.’
And in a stark warning to readers, he added: ‘I always think to myself, whenever there’s another natural disaster, a huge increase in volcano eruptions or earthquakes or flooding, how many clues does nature have to give us before we actually learn, or wake ourselves up to the damage and the destruction that we’re causing?’
Harry also claimed ‘nature is a medicine’ but asked Dr Goodall how to inspire change among world leaders.
His comments come as commentators warned the royals against making political statements in the wake of the guest edit.
Online a number of people were quick to hit back, one telling the Prince to ‘be quiet’ and another suggesting he was not the best person to lecture about unconscious bias.
The September edition of British Vogue, which was guest edited by Meghan, is available on August 2
‘Population matters’: Sir David Attenborough backing campaign urging people to ‘stop at having two children’
By not having a child, the carbon footprint of an individual living in a developed country would be reduced on average by an extra 58.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, based on emission rates in 2017.
The impact of having a child is calculated by factoring in not only the extra impact of the child, but also that of their potential future descendants.
British charity Population Matters is one of the leading campaigners on the thorny subject of population control.
Population Matters, of which Sir David Attenborough is the patron, has urged parents to ‘Stop at Two’.
Last year, the UK’s population saw its sharpest annual increase in nearly 70 years.
Although the Office for National Statistics said that net international migration was the main driver behind the growth, there were also rises in births and fewer deaths.
With our heavy consumption of fossil fuels such as petrol, coal and gas, Population Matters argue that we currently use nearly three times the renewable resources our land can provide.
Population Matters has thousands of members in Britain and around the world, with high-profile patrons — including Sir David Attenborough, TV naturalist Chris Packham and author Lionel Shriver — spreading the word on the dangers over-procreation presents to the planet.
Harry asked Dr Goodall: ‘What can we do to lift up the current and/or emerging leaders within the countries who are dealing with the greatest challenges for wildlife and conservation?’
In another moment of deep reflection, Harry agreed that ‘growing up could be fun if you surround yourself with the right people and the right things.’
He added: ‘I think, again, what I’ve noticed in myself, is that life is about evolving. You are continually changing, and if you don’t think that every day is a learning process, then life is going to be very tricky for you.’
As the birth of ‘Baby Sussex’ approached, rumours swirled that the Cambridges would have their own baby announcement in the months to come.
But during a St Patrick’s Day walkabout in Northern Ireland, the Duchess replied to shouts of ‘number four’, with: ‘I think William would be a little worried.’
As guest editor for Vogue’s September issue, Meghan chose 15 women she branded ‘trailblazers’ and ‘forces for change’ in our society.
From British model Adwoa Aboah to New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the Duchess chose women who have championed causes from transgender rights to body positivity to feature in the magazine.
It represents one of the most radical moves in Vogue’s 100-year history, with the magazine saying it considers the new September issue to be its most important edition of the year.
The Duchess, a former actress and avowed feminist, had initially been asked to appear on the cover herself. But Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful said Meghan refused as she thought it would appear too ‘boastful’.
In a statement, Meghan said: ‘Through this lens I hope you’ll feel the strength of the collective in the diverse selection of women chosen for the cover as well as the team of support I called upon within the issue to help bring this to light.
‘I hope readers feel as inspired as I do, by the forces for change they’ll find within these pages.’
Meghan’s trailblazers include actress Jane Fonda, transgender Orange Is the New Black actress Laverne Cox and climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg.
The 16th image on the cover is a mirror to ‘include the reader and encourage them to use their own platforms to effect change’ – the Duchess’s idea.
Some commentators and royal fans slammed Harry after reading the article slamming his ‘track record’ and asking him to ‘stop lecturing people’
Others were full of praise for the Royal however, hailing his statement and sharing their approval of the article and interview
Edward Enniful, the magazine’s editor, added: ‘To have the country’s most influential beacon of change guest edit British Vogue at this time has been an honour, a pleasure and a wonderful surprise.
‘As you will see from her selections throughout this magazine, she is also willing to wade into more complex and nuanced areas, whether they concern female empowerment, mental health, race or privilege.
‘From the very beginning, we talked about the cover – whether she would be on it or not.
‘In the end, she felt that it would be in some ways a ‘boastful’ thing to do for this particular project.
Prince Charles, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge have all tried their hand at being journalists in recent years to plug causes close to their hearts.
But Meghan faced a furious backlash over her choices, while others claimed she should not be editing magazines under a royal title after keeping the names of Archie’s godparents a secret and snubbing the media from his christening.
She was also slammed for failing to include the Queen and for ignoring nurses, doctors, lawyers and teachers on the front cover.
The Duchess has battled negative comments about her race since she was first thrown into the spotlight with news of her engagement to Harry in the autumn of 2017.
She has dodged questions about her racial heritage, while those criticising her have been described as both racist and misogynist.
Who is Dame Dame Jane Goodall? Conservationist who has devoted life to protecting wild animals
Dame Dr Jane Goodall is pictured in Los Angeles earlier this month
Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall was born in Hampstead, north London in April 1934.
As a child her father, Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall, gave her a stuffed chimpanzee as an alternative to a teddy bear.
Family and friends say this was the beginning of a lifelong obsession with animals, chimpanzees in particular.
At the age of 26 she travelled to what is now Tanazania with little more than a notebook and a pair of binoculars.
She set out to meet the creatures she loved and this began 60 years of ground-breaking work to save them from extinction.
Going on to be a full-time primatologist and anthropologist she is considered one of the world’s leading experts on chimpanzees.
She is best known for a 55-year study on their social and family interactions, which began when she first travelled to the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960.
Seventeen years later she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to support research in the Gombe park.
It now has 19 offices worldwide and also works on community development programmes throughout Africa.
It has a youth programme that began in 1991 and was named the Roots & Shoots project.
Today, at the age of 85, she still devotes her entire life to conservation, travelling 300 days of the year to visit them across the globe.
She is a board member of the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary outside Africa, the Save The Chips In Fort Pierce, Florida.
She has won dozens of awards, written several books and made many films about her work.
She was named a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2004.
Sealed over a steaming cup of mint tea, how the Duchess unleashed her inner mermaid in Vogue
By Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent for the Daily Mail
The Duchess of Sussex has given an extraordinary insight into her social activism and political credo by personally penning a guest editor’s letter for Vogue, celebrating ‘the power of the collective’.
Addressing readers of the magazine, she boldly declares she wants to set a different tone in a world ‘where judgment can become clouded and focus skewed towards the superficial’.
Instead, she says, she wants to focus on ‘positivity, kindness, humour and inclusivity’ and ethical and sustainable fashion brands. She even promises a beauty section ‘that puts its energy towards internal beauty’ rather than physical aesthetics.
The duchess also offers a caveat for readers, reminding them that the magazine requires pages of adverts that may not chime with her overall ethos but ‘just come with the territory’.
Meghan cites feminist author Anais Nin – famed for writing female erotica – as one of her major inspirations, referencing a quote by one of her characters which says: ‘I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.’
The release of the letter, ahead of the magazine’s publication on Friday, comes after it was revealed that Meghan had chosen 15 female trailblazers to feature on the cover of what will be a special Forces For Change edition of the 100-year-old fashion bible.
Meghan, the first to guest edit its prestigious September issue, reveals that she sealed the Vogue deal over mint tea with editor-in-chief Edward Enninful.
In a video posted to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram (pictured), she appears alongside editor Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful putting the finishing touches to the magazine
And she recalls how, after being offered the chance to appear on its front cover – as Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cambridge have – she sent a text message to Mr Enninful asking whether she could take charge of whole edition, signed with the single letter ‘M’.
Writing with what she suggests is a touch of bashfulness, she says: ‘Over a steaming cup of mint tea, we teased through how one can shine light in a world filled with seemingly daily darkness. Lofty? Of course. Worth it? Without question.
‘So I asked the question. Actually, I typed and deleted the question several times until I built up the courage to ask the question in question. ‘Edward… instead of doing the cover, would you be open to me guest editing your September issue?’ (Mind you, I know how important the September issue is for the fashion industry.
‘I realise the reach, and I see the opportunity to be a part of fashion’s push for something greater, kinder, more impactful. But I am also a little nervous to be boldly asking the editor-in-chief, whom I’d only just met, to take a chance on me.)
‘And then it appeared, EE’s reply: ‘Yes! I would love for you to be my guest editor’.
‘Sitting on my sofa at home, two dogs [one is a labrador puppy the Sussexes have refused to name or discuss publicly] nestled across me, I quietly celebrated when the words appeared on my screen.’
The result is that instead of having a single model on the front page of the most influential edition of any fashion magazine ahead of the autumn catwalk shows, Meghan’s issue features 15 women she admires, including celebrities, politicians and activists known for championing issues such as diversity, body positivity, transgender rights and climate change.
They include mental health campaigner Adowa Aboah, Orange Is The New Black actress Laverne Cox and teenage environmental protester Greta Thunberg.
Meghan says that within a week of their first meeting, she and Mr Enninful were discussing ideas but she was already clear where she wanted to go.
Citing Nin’s influence, she writes: ‘For this issue, I imagined, why would we swim in the shallow end of the pool when we could go to the deep end? A metaphor for life, as well as for this issue. Let’s be braver. Let’s go a bit deeper.
‘That’s what Edward and I have aimed to achieve. An issue of both substance and levity. It is, after all, the September issue of British Vogue.’ Meghan’s ethos is woven through the magazine but she adds: ‘More than anything, this issue is about the power of the collective.
In identifying our personal strengths, it is anchored in the knowledge that we are even stronger together. You will find that spirit of inclusivity on the cover: diverse portraiture of women of varying age, colour, creed, nationality and life experience, and of unquestionable inspiration.
‘These are our forces for change. And among all of these strong women on the cover, a mirror – a space for you, the reader, to see yourself. Because you, too, are part of this collective.’
Apparently taking a dig at the advertisers who provide a lucrative source of income for the magazine – perhaps ironic given her championing of designer clothes – she says: ‘There is one caveat: This is a magazine. It’s still a business… there will be advertising sections that are requisite for every issue, so while I feel confident that you’ll feel my thumbprint on most pages, please know that there are elements that just come with the territory.
‘The overall sentiment I hope you’ll find, however, will be one of positivity, kindness, humour and inclusivity.’
Meghan is not the first royal to appear in British Vogue, with sister-in-law Kate appearing on the front cover in June 2016 (pictured)
Meghan ends by saying that the experience of working on the issue while pregnant, and then on maternity leave with son Archie, has been a ‘joy’.
Responding, Mr Enninful says he has had a ‘deep and profound respect’ for the duchess – whom he describes as a ‘brilliant, biracial, American powerhouse’ – since she ‘first began to navigate the waters of the British establishment’.
Describing her as ‘an influential beacon of change’, he adds: ‘And then there is the gently modernising manner in which she has approached her new role at the centre of Britain’s public life.
From negotiating first-time motherhood within an ancient institution to changing how we frame the conversation around women who face rabid media interest, her positive influence is everywhere.
‘I simply never imagined that, in my lifetime, someone of my colour would – or could – enter the highest echelons of our Royal Family.’
- The September issue of British Vogue, guest-edited by the Duchess of Sussex, is available on news-stands and digital download on Friday.
Meghan has advocated for women’s rights during her time as a royal. Pictured: A pregnant Meghan used a marker to write messages onto bananas being bagged up for sex workers
Vogue has confirmed Meghan was not paid for her guest editorship.
None of the money raised by the magazine’s advertising or cover price will go to charity, although Vogue’s owner Conde Nast contributes to good causes throughout the year.
For example, last year they supported an event at which clothes worn by celebrities were auctioned for the LGBT youth homelessness charity the Albert Kennedy Trust.
Meghan Markle’s Super Sixteen: Duchess of Sussex has handpicked the women she admires most for the cover of Vogue magazine, and the list includes YOU
Handpicked for her Vogue cover, they’re the women the Duchess admires most.
But she’s left one box blank to show YOU can be a game-changer, too.
1: FROM CHILD REFUGEE TO CHANEL SUPERMODEL
Adut Akech, 19. Model.
As a child refugee, Akech moved from South Sudan to Kenya, where her family was too poor to send her to school. Aged seven, her parents emigrated to Adelaide, Australia. She became a model at 16 and calls Naomi Campbell her ‘second mum’.
CLAIM TO FAME: In 2018, she became only the second black model ever to close the Chanel haute couture show.
WISE WORDS: ‘I promised that I was going to make something out of myself; something really good that would make people proud of me, especially my mother. And that is exactly what I have done.’
ROYAL TIES: At last December’s British Fashion Awards, Meghan presented an award and Akech was nominated for Model of the Year.
Gemma Chan, 36. Actress and campaigner
2: RISING STAR WANTING TO END RACIAL PREJUDICE
Gemma Chan, 36. Actress and campaigner.
The UK-born Oxford law graduate turned her back on the legal profession for showbiz. She made her breakthrough in the romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians and played Minn-Erva in this year’s superhero film Captain Marvel.
CLAIM TO FAME: Pole dancing with singer Celine Dion after this year’s Met Gala: ‘It was the best half an hour of my life.’
WISE WORDS: ‘You’re going to have moments of s**t, but pick yourself up, have a drink and carry on.’
ROYAL TIES: Dated posh comic Jack Whitehall for six years — he once poked fun at Harry’s ginger hair. She and Meghan share a passion for stamping out racial prejudice in the acting world.
Both made Vogue magazine’s best-dressed list last year, and use make-up artist Daniel Martin, who did Meghan’s wedding look.
3: TEEN WHO HOPES TO SAVE THE WORLD
Greta Thunberg, 16. Swedish climate change activist.
She visited the UK in April, and addressed MPs at Westminster. Sparked a ‘school strike for the climate’ among students from 112 countries. Only travels by train and in March made the cover of Time magazine.
CLAIM TO FAME: Nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year.
WISE WORDS: ‘Our house is falling apart and our leaders need to start acting accordingly.’
ROYAL TIES: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex used their Instagram account to follow Thunberg this month, as part of their ‘monthly social awareness approach’ to their favourite causes.
Greta Thunberg, 16. Swedish climate change activist
4: DJ WHO’S AT WAR WITH FAT SHAMING
Jameela Jamil, 33.
The Hampstead-born children’s TV presenter turned actor and activist advocates ‘body positivity’ through her I Weigh campaign.
CLAIM TO FAME: First solo female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 Chart show in 60 years.
WISE WORDS: ‘The next generation is f*****g done being excluded and looking up to a white straight thin version of what we are supposed to be. We’re done with the dinosaurs . . . and I’m here to kill the last of them.’
ROYAL TIES: Jamil’s I Weigh campaign was a cause the Sussexes chose to support on Instagram. Both women fell out with TV’s Piers Morgan, who accused Meghan of abandoning her friendship with him after she met Harry. Jamil described Morgan as ‘England’s biggest s**t stain’.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 31. Nigerian novelist whose 2012 TEDx talk ‘We should all be feminists’ has been viewed more than five million times
5: WRITER FIGHTING GENDER INJUSTICE
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 31. Nigerian novelist whose 2012 TEDx talk ‘We should all be feminists’ has been viewed more than five million times.
She’s collaborated with Dior on a ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ T-shirt, and in 2016 became the face of Boots No7 make-up. Splits her time between Nigeria and the U.S. and designs clothes with local tailors.
CLAIM TO FAME: Her novel Americanah, about race and identity, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction in 2013.
WISE WORDS: ‘I am angry. Gender as it functions today is a grave injustice. We should all be angry.’
ROYAL TIES: Both were invited to a private discussion with Michelle Obama at London’s Southbank Centre. She has said Meghan should be the next Head of the Commonwealth after the Queen, not Prince Charles.
6: MODEL & MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGNER
Adwoa Aboah, 27. Aristocratic supermodel and descendant of the Earl of Lonsdale, whose mother Camilla founded an artist management agency.
Developed depression as a teenager, when she started taking drugs. After an overdose and stay in a psychiatric hospital, she is now a passionate advocate for the promotion of mental health.
CLAIM TO FAME: The chosen cover star for new editor Edward Enninful’s first edition of Vogue in December 2017.
WISE WORDS: ‘When you’re that unhappy, it’s scary, it’s dark and horrible.’
ROYAL TIES: Supports Heads Together — the charity Meghan and Harry spearheaded with William and Kate until recently.
Adwoa Aboah, 27. Aristocratic supermodel and descendant of the Earl of Lonsdale, whose mother Camilla founded an artist management agency
Meghan says this image — a mirrored panel — represents ‘a mirror to include the reader
7: You!
Meghan says this image — a mirrored panel — represents ‘a mirror to include the reader and encourage them to use their own platforms to effect change’. Whatever cards life has dealt you, the Duchess believes you are a force for change and are every bit as important as her chosen cover stars.
8: PM WHO HELPED HEAL NEW ZEALAND
Jacinda Ardern, 39.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister garnered widespread praise for her sensitive reaction, which included wearing a headscarf, to the mosque shootings in Christchurch in March by a white supremacist, when 51 were killed.
CLAIM TO FAME: Became the world’s youngest female head of government in October 2017 and only the second world leader to give birth while in office. Her TV presenter partner became a stay-at-home dad.
WISE WORDS: ‘I never, ever grew up as a young woman believing that my gender would stand in the way of doing anything I wanted.’
ROYAL TIES: Met the Duchess last October on the Sussexes’ first royal tour and has said: ‘I think it’s wonderful to have a woman in her position talk so strongly about issues of women’s representation and empowerment.’
Jacinda Ardern, 39, New Zealand Prime Minister
Francesca Hayward, 27. The ballerina was born in Nairobi and moved to Sussex aged two to live with her British grand-parents
9: STAR OF THE ROYAL BALLET
Francesca Hayward, 27. The ballerina was born in Nairobi and moved to Sussex aged two to live with her British grand-parents.
They fuelled her love of dance by giving her a DVD of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Cast alongside Taylor Swift and Judi Dench in the film version of the musical Cats.
CLAIM TO FAME: A principal dancer in the Royal Ballet, the highest rank possible.
wise words: ‘It sounds a cliché but when I’m on stage I’m at my most relaxed, I feel most like myself. When I have the music and costumes and everyone else around me, that’s when I feel most free.’
ROYAL TIES: Clearly, the Duchess admires the way she handles being asked about her race. Has said her background has never affected her career: ‘It’s only when people ask me what it’s like to be a mixed-race dancer that I realise that I am. I’ve never been made to feel different.’
10: SOMALI BOXER TO BEAT BULLIES
Ramla Ali, late 20s (Ali doesn’t know her exact age). Champion Somali boxer who arrived in the UK as a refugee.
Bullied in her early teens for being overweight, she discovered boxing after her mum bought her a pass to an East London gym.
Ramla Ali, late 20s (Ali doesn’t know her exact age). Champion Somali boxer who arrived in the UK as a refugee
Became ‘hooked’ but kept her boxing a secret from her strict Muslim parents, who found out after her brother saw her competing on television. She volunteers for a charity teaching women self-defence.
CLAIM TO FAME: Training to become the first Somali to compete in Olympic boxing in 2020.
WISE WORDS: ‘Every day I am getting messages from people saying: ‘You are doing incredible things for our country, you are raising awareness for our country, a country that has been associated with war and famine for so long, so you are bringing a positive light to the country — thank you so much.’ ‘
ROYAL TIES: They may know each other through Vogue’s editor, Edward Enninful, who she recently thanked on social media for a night out at one of the UK’s starriest events, the Serpentine Gallery’s summer party.
11: CATWALK LEGEND CARING FOR MUMS
Christy Turlington Burns, 50.
One of the original Nineties supermodels who shot to stardom with her campaign for Calvin Klein’s Eternity perfume. More recently the mother of two, married to actor Edward Burns, has founded Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organisation dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safer worldwide.
CLAIM TO FAME: Top casting agent James Scully hailed her as: ‘The greatest model of all time! You could combine every model to this day into one person, and they wouldn’t come close (sorry, girls).’
WISE WORDS: ‘Oh, I’m hardly stylish! I’m such a mess. I don’t think about what I’m going to wear; it’s the last thing I think about.’
ROYAL TIES: Naomi Campbell is a mutual friend and both are yoga fanatics. Once said: ‘Yoga is about compassion and generosity towards others. It means being mindful of the world around us.’
Christy Turlington Burns, 50
Salma Hayek Pinault, 52. Actress, producer and activist
12: FILM STAR WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE
Salma Hayek Pinault, 52. Actress, producer and activist.
The Hollywood star is married to French billionaire businessman François-Henri Pinault. She campaigns to raise awareness of violence against women and discrimination against immigrants (and has said she was once an illegal immigrant in the States after moving from Mexico).
CLAIM TO FAME: Breastfed a new-born whose mother couldn’t produce milk on a UNICEF trip to Sierra Leone.
WISE WORDS: ‘People always underestimate me. But if you stick around long enough, act out of conviction, and try to be honourable in everything you do, good things will come to you.
ROYAL TIES: Both used their acting careers to raise awareness for their charity work — before marrying men very far removed from Hollywood.
13: MADE FASHION MORE INCLUSIVE
Sinead Burke, 29. Irish activist born with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder, which means she is just three-and-a-half-feet tall.
A fashion fanatic, who would ask for copies of Vogue for her birthday, she started blogging aged 16 to highlight the industry’s inability to cater to disabled fans.
CLAIM TO FAME: Became well known after her TED talk ‘Why design should include everyone’ two years ago.
WISE WORDS: On disabled people in fashion, she says: ‘They’ve not been invited to the table to help make and share decisions.’
ROYAL TIES: Met the Duchess at a reception in Dublin, and was listed alongside her as ‘one of the 25 most influential and aspirational female figures in Britain shaping 2018’ in — where else — Vogue magazine.
Sinead Burke, 29. Irish activist born with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder, which means she is just three-and-a-half-feet tall
Jane Fonda, 81. Actress, model and fitness guru
14: OSCAR WINNER STILL STRONG AT 81
Jane Fonda, 81. Actress, model and fitness guru.
The thrice-divorced mother of three has been a frequently controversial political activist — she was a staunch opponent of the Vietnam War, earning her the nickname ‘Hanoi Jane’ — and championed feminist causes, saying in 2017: ‘I’ve been raped, I’ve been sexually abused as a child and I’ve been fired because I wouldn’t sleep with my boss.’ Currently stars in Netflix series Grace And Frankie.
CLAIM TO FAME: A legend in Hollywood, she has won two Best Actress Oscars and been nominated several other times. Has also shifted more than 17 million copies of her legendary exercise videos.
WISE WORDS: ‘To be a revolutionary you have to be a human being. You have to care about people who have no power.’
ROYAL TIES: It’s not entirely clear — but Meghan did reportedly relax by watching a Jane Fonda movie, Book Club, on a flight to Canada last year.
15: ACTRESS AND LGBT ACTIVIST
Laverne Cox, 46.
The American actress and transgender advocate found fame on Netflix series Orange Is The New Black and became the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She says: ‘Most Americans learn what they learn about trans people through the media.’
CAREER HIGHLIGHT: The first transgender person to appear on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.
WISE WORDS: ‘I am a self- made woman in every sense of the word.’
ROYAL TIES: A mutual distrust of President Donald Trump, whom Meghan has described as a ‘misogynist’. Cox says of transgender people: ‘The current President is trying to ban us from the military. Our unemployment rate is three times the national average.’
Laverne Cox, 46, actress and LGBT activist
16: SITCOM QUEEN INSPIRING VOTERS
Yara Shahidi, 19. US actor and model who launched Eighteenx18, a movement to encourage voter turnout.
Currently stars in hit sitcom Grown-ish — and studies at Harvard: ‘I have the great fortune of working with fabulous people who want me to go to college as much as I do.’
CLAIM TO FAME: Given a letter of recommendation by former First Lady Michelle Obama.
WISE WORDS: ‘My passion really stemmed from having gone through the 2016 election, where myself and many of my peers were unable to vote.’
ROYAL TIES: Apart from their early career trajectory on U.S. TV series, they share campaigning stances on racial prejudice. In a scene from Grown-ish, her character, Zoey Johnson, expresses her approval of Meghan’s marriage to Harry. ‘Good on Meghan,’ says Zoey. ‘Girl’s a princess now.’
