Forces For Change': Meghan picks 15 women for British Vogue cover

Meghan is the guest editor of the renowned September issue of the fashion bible, dubbed Forces For Change.

Image: The Duchess of Sussex spent seven months working on the issue

Climate activist Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern are among 15 women chosen by the Duchess of Sussex to feature on the next issue of British Vogue.
Meghan is the guest editor of the September edition of the fashion bible, dubbed Forces For Change, and has been working on the project for the past seven months.

She said she hopes readers feel as inspired by the magazine as she does, having hand-picked a varied mix of powerful cover stars spanning politics, entertainment and beyond.

Image: Fifteen women chosen by the duchess feature on the cover

Joining Ms Thunberg and Ms Ardern are actors Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek, Laverne Cox, Jameela Jamil, Gemma Chan and Yara Shahidi, as well as models Christy Turlington Burns, Adwoa Aboah and Adut Akech.
Boxer Ramla Ali, writer Sinead Burke, Royal Ballet dancer Francesca Hayward and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie complete the line-up, with each photographed individually.

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The front of the magazine is divided into 16 boxes, with the extra spot featuring a mirror designed to encourage and inspire readers to use their own platform to make a difference.
More high-profile women feature inside, including former US first lady Michelle Obama and Dr Jane Goodall, who are interviewed by Meghan and the Duke of Sussex respectively.

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The duchess said working on the popular magazine had been a "rewarding process" that she wanted to make sure focused on "values, causes and people making an impact in the world today".
She added: "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."

Image: Meghan said she hoped readers would be inspired by the issue

According to British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, Meghan is the first guest to edit the September issue, which is considered the most important of the year as it details upcoming autumn and winter fashion.
But despite her influence over its content, he said the royal did not want to grace the cover herself because she felt it would be a "boastful" thing for her to do.

Image: Gemma Chan is among the actors on the cover

"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," he said.
"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.
"She wanted, instead, to focus on the women she admires."

Image: Dr Jane Goodall is one of the world's foremost primatologists

Meghan is not the first duchess to make an impact on British Vogue, with the Duchess of Cambridge having adorned its centenary issue in 2016.
The September edition goes on sale this coming Friday.