I winced when I heard the Duchess of Sussex had guest edited British Vogue’s September issue.
Not because I thought she wouldn’t be brilliant (she was), or because I thought she’d fill it with pictures of herself (she didn’t, she chose to shine the spotlight on 15 trailblazing women), but because I knew she’d face a torrent of criticism, the likes of which she’s never had before.
And I was right. The blow-back has been out of all proportion.
We got the inevitable “Royals don’t edit magazines”.
But no one seemed to have a problem when Prince Charles edited Country Life, when the Duchess of Cambridge took over the Huffington Post or when Prince Harry guest edited Radio 4’s Today programme.
She was slammed for her choice of “woke women” with some demanding to know why she didn’t put “ordinary” women on the cover.
Umm, when was the last time you saw an ordinary person on the cover of Vogue?
Goodness knows Meghan isn’t perfect, and she’s made mistakes, (who hasn’t?), but for some people, the fact she has a black mother, is American and was an actress, means she’ll never be “good enough” for the Royal Family.
Prince Harry is right when he says some people have an “unconscious” race bias.
The people who deny this most vehemently are usually the very people who are guilty of it.
So I salute the Duchess for doing things her way.
I love that she’s not afraid to be challenging or to try things other people in her position haven’t.
It reminds me there are opportunities I passed on or things I restricted myself from doing because deep down I felt, well, they’re not things little black girls from Battersea do.
I was scared to dream big.
I almost didn’t take a job on a national broadsheet newspaper because I was terrified what people would think of me.
I wasn’t posh, I didn’t go to private school or Oxbridge and I had a South London accent.
But on the advice of a woman who had risen to the top of her game without coming from a privileged background, I forced myself out of my comfort zone and went for it.
Now I don’t feel I need anyone’s approval to validate me.
So yes, Meghan, live your best life, edit Vogue, celebrate other women and dare to be different.
You’re an inspiration and you’ll be criticised whatever you do. To all the haters I say a) who? b) cares?
