Alright pop culture fans and magazine lovers get ready for some behind-the-scenes Hollywood gossip. Graydon Carter the legendary former editor of Vanity Fair is dropping a memoir and it's packed with juicy stories about his time at the top. And guess who makes an appearance? Meghan Markle. Yep the Duchess herself.
"Meghan Who?": When Vanity Fair Decided to Put a "Suits" Star on the Cover Because of Prince Harry
So picture this. It's 2017 and Graydon Carter is still running Vanity Fair. Jane Sarkin who booked covers for the magazine comes to him with an idea. "We should do a cover on Meghan Markle" she says. Carter's reaction? Total blank. He admitted to the New York Post "I have no idea who that is." Sarkin had to explain "She’s on ‘Suits’". Still nothing for Carter. He was like "Why should we do a story on her?". The answer was simple and pretty major: "Because she’s going to marry Prince Harry."
Boom. Suddenly Meghan Markle a then not-super-famous actress from a cable TV show was Vanity Fair cover material. It was all about the Prince Harry effect. Being on that September 2017 cover was a massive deal for Meghan. It boosted her profile big time and kinda confirmed those rumors swirling around that she and Harry were an item. The cover even had the headline "She’s just wild about Harry" and quoted Meghan saying "We’re a couple. We’re in love." Vanity Fair covers were still a huge deal back then a real status symbol in celeb land.
"Excuse Me Is This All About Prince Harry?": Meghan's Alleged Reaction to Her Own Cover Story
Here's where it gets a little spicy. Royal author Tom Bower had previously reported that Prince Harry wasn't thrilled about Meghan doing the Vanity Fair interview. He wanted to keep things quiet until he got the official okay from the Queen to propose. Apparently Meghan and her team tried to downplay the Harry angle with Vanity Fair. They wanted the story to focus on her acting career and especially her charity work and philanthropy.
Carter himself told the New York Post that Meghan challenged the reporter during the interview. She supposedly asked "Excuse me is this going to all be about Prince Harry? Because I thought we were going to be talking about my charities and my philanthropy." Carter's response is pretty classic. He raised his eyebrows and thought to himself about Meghan: "This woman is slightly adrift on the facts and reality." Ouch. It sounds like Carter was not totally buying Meghan's take on things.
"Hollywood Philanthropy is PR Philanthropy": Carter's Skepticism and Doubts About Meghan's Activism Claims
according to Bower's book Carter was generally skeptical about celebrities and their supposed good deeds. He apparently said "Hollywood philanthropy is PR philanthropy" suggesting it is often more for show than for actual commitment. And when it came to Meghan's Vanity Fair cover story it seems the fact-checkers had some trouble verifying her often-told story about becoming an activist at age 11.
Meghan has talked about writing to Proctor & Gamble as a kid to complain about a sexist dish soap ad slogan and how she got letters back from Hillary Clinton Linda Ellerbee and Gloria Allred. It is a great story. However Bower reports that Vanity Fair's fact-checking team couldn't find proof of the Clinton letter or that Meghan was really the driving force behind the company changing their slogan. He suggests her dad Thomas Markle who worked in TV lighting helped get her on Linda Ellerbee's "Nick News" show to talk about it. And that while Meghan did participate in a letter-writing campaign it was already happening. Basically Carter and his team seemed to question how much of Meghan's activism story was actually true versus a bit exaggerated.
Diana Would Be Sad: Carter Thinks Princess Di Would Not Be Happy About Harry's Royal Rift
Carter did have some positive things to say about Princess Diana Meghan's late mother-in-law. He was friendly with Diana and even co-hosted the famous 1994 party where she wore her "revenge dress." He thinks Diana would be "upset" about Prince Harry's estrangement from the royal family.
Carter told Page Six "I would think she would feel great sorrow for her son to have been pulled away from his family like this especially his brother but also his father." It is interesting to hear his perspective given his connection to Diana and his insights into the royal world.
Key Takeaways from Graydon Carter's Memoir on Meghan Markle's Vanity Fair Cover:
- Carter initially had no idea who Meghan Markle was when his team suggested her for the cover.
- The cover story happened because Meghan was dating Prince Harry not because of her acting career.
- Meghan allegedly complained that the interview was focusing too much on Prince Harry and not her philanthropy.
- Carter felt Meghan was "adrift on the facts and reality" regarding her own publicity.
- Vanity Fair's fact-checkers reportedly had trouble verifying Meghan's stories about her childhood activism.
- Carter believes Princess Diana would be saddened by Prince Harry's current situation with the royal family.
Graydon Carter: More Than Just Meghan Markle - A Legendary Career in Magazine World
Graydon Carter's memoir "When the Going was Good" is not just about Meghan Markle of course. It covers his whole impressive career including his time at Vanity Fair from 1992 to 2017. He talks about working with big names like Anna Wintour and Tina Brown throwing the very first Vanity Fair Oscars party in 1994 and his friendship with Princess Diana. It sounds like a fascinating look behind the scenes of the glamorous world of magazine publishing and celebrity culture. If you are into celebrity gossip magazine history or royal drama this memoir might be worth checking out.