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Meghan Markle wins diversity award with 'groundbreaking' Vogue cover

LONDON, ENGLAND - UNDATED: (NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO SALES, NO COMMERICAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NO CROPPING.)  Undated handout photo issued by Kensington Palace of The Duchess of Sussex, Patron of Smart Works, in the workroom of the Smart Works London office. Issue date: Sunday July 28, 2019. (Photo by @SussexRoyal/Kensington Palace via Getty Images)Copyright in the photograph is @SussexRoyal. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to: Copyright: @SussexRoyalNo charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Meghan working on the issue in 2019. (@SussexRoyal/Kensington Palace)

The Duchess of Sussex has said she is “honoured” as the issue of Vogue she guest edited wins an award.

Meghan, 38, edited the September 2019 edition, the first time the September issue of the fashion bible has had a guest at the helm.

She used the issue to highlight some women she thought were ‘Forces for Change’, including Greta Thunberg and Jacinta Ardern.

At the Professional Publishers Association Awards, held virtually on Tuesday afternoon, Vogue were named winners of the Diversity Initiative of the Year award, with special mention for the issue Meghan was involved in.

According to the PPA: “One judge commented that the forces for change issue felt like a ‘genuine media ground-breaking moment’.”

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UNSPECIFIED -UNDATED: (NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO SALES, NO COMMERICAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NO CROPPING.)  Undated handout photo issued by Kensington Palace of The cover of British Vogue's September issue, entitled "Forces for Change", which is guest edited by HRH The Duchess of Sussex,  Issue date: Sunday July 28, 2019. (Photo by Peter Lindbergh/Kensington Palace via Getty Images)Copyright in the photograph is Peter Lindbergh. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to: Peter LindberghNo charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
The issue which Meghan edited, which one judge called 'ground-breaking'. (Getty images)

The Duchess of Sussex said: “I’m honoured to have this very special issue recognised. Creating Forces for Change with Edward was an opportunity to have the September issue of Vogue reflect the world as we see it - beautiful and strong in its diversity.

“Huge congratulations to Edward who helped bring this to light, and for his additional honour of being awarded ‘best editor’ by PPA.”

Edward Enninful, editor of British Vogue, posted on Instagram: “I'm also thrilled to say that #BritishVogue's September 2019 #ForcesForChange issue – guest-edited by the inimitable Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex @SussexRoyal – has won Diversity Initiative of the Year.

“Many thanks to my amazing team, the best an editor could ask for. Here's to more successes!”

He scooped the Consumer Editor of the Year award.

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Meghan’s issue sold out in 10 days, the fastest selling issue in the history of British Vogue and was the biggest selling issue of the decade.

It also inspired a series of events called the Change-Maker talks, the first of which was held in the Southbank Centre in March.

The cover included: Adwoa Aboah, Adut Akech, Ramla Ali, Jacinda Ardern, Sinead Burke, Gemma Chan, Laverne Cox, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek Pinault, Francesca Hayward, Jameela Jamil, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Yara Shahidi, Greta Thunberg and Christy Turlington Burns.

Of the issue, the duchess 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.”