Anna Wintour addressed the criticism Meghan Markle faced, dismissing claims that she was difficult to work with and praising her wedding dress.
In a now-viral TikTok clip, Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, defended the Duchess of Sussex during an “Ask Anna” feature on the magazine’s website back in January 2019.
This came at a crucial time for Meghan, who was facing intense media scrutiny.
In November and December of 2018, the British press published numerous critical stories about her.
What Did Anna Wintour Say About Meghan Markle?
Wintour was asked about these allegations, and she responded by highlighting Meghan’s early morning routine and active lifestyle.
“I read somewhere that there were members of the royal household that were confused and upset that she woke up so early, at 5 am,” Wintour said. “She’s a normal Californian girl. Gets up early and does yoga and meditates, and also sent a lot of text messages. I mean, what do they expect, that she was gonna send messages via pigeon? So, I think she’s amazing, and the royal wedding had the whole world watching, and I think that her choice was brilliant.”
This video clip was well-received on TikTok, garnering 43k likes and 428k views. It was posted with the message: “Anna Wintour talks about Meghan, her wedding dress, California style, and says she’s ‘amazing’.”
The video was originally published by Vogue on January 22, just days after Meghan and Harry attended a Cirque du Soleil performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Meghan later revealed in a March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that she was struggling with suicidal thoughts during that period. Wintour’s supportive comments would have been a source of comfort for Meghan if she had seen them.
Wintour also expressed admiration for Meghan’s wedding gown, designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy.
“It was sophisticated,” Wintour remarked. “It was chic, it was grown-up. It was an English designer, albeit one that was working for a French house, which in a way was a message to the world—’Yes, I’m from somewhere else but I belong.’ I thought she looked fantastic. The fact that she chose to walk down the aisle by herself, I also thought spoke for an independent woman.”
Additionally, Wintour praised Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who accompanied her to St George’s Chapel for her wedding to Harry on May 21, 2018.
“I think the picture of the Duchess of Sussex’s mother at the chapel at the wedding was so inspiring to so many women, men all over the world,” Wintour said. “I think the two duchesses, the young duchesses that they had in Britain, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex, are going to keep the royal family afloat, quite frankly.”
At the time Wintour made these statements, allegations that Meghan was difficult to work with were largely based on anonymous sources quoted in the British press.
However, two years later, The Times published an article citing an email from Kensington Palace press secretary Jason Knauf, accusing Meghan of bullying two PAs out of the royal household.
Knauf’s email read: “I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X [name removed] was totally unacceptable.” He continued, “The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y [name removed] and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior towards Y [name removed].”
In his memoir “Spare,” Harry also discussed the tense environment and the accusations against Meghan.
Harry wrote, “Nerves were shattering, people were sniping. In such a climate there was no such thing as constructive criticism. All feedback was seen as an affront, an insult. More than once a staff member slumped across their desk and wept. For all this, every bit of it, Willy blamed one person. Meg. He told me so several times, and he got cross when I told him he was out of line.”
Harry continued, “Meg managed to remain calm. Despite what certain people were saying about her, I never heard her speak a bad word about anybody, or to anybody. On the contrary, I watched her redouble her efforts to reach out, to spread kindness.”
@harry.nd.meghan Anna Wintour talks about Meghan, her wedding dress, California style, and says she’s “amazing.” #meghanmarkle #meghanmarklestyle #harryandmeghan #princeharry #harryandmeghanedit #meghanmarkleedit #meghanandprinceharry #harryandmeghanwedding ♬ origineel geluid – .⋆୨୧⋆.