There was a very special reason why one of the spaces on Meghan Markle‘s British Vogue September issue cover was left ‘blank’.
WATCH: Meghan Markle shares ‘sneak peek’ video of Vogue role
The Duchess of Sussex is the first person to guest edit the September issue in 103 years, so it wasn’t an honour to be taken lightly.
She announced her collaboration on Monday on the Sussex Royal Instagram account, and shared the cover image, which features 15 women, including teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and is emblazoned with the slogan ‘Forces for CHANGE’.
While the faces of the 15 inspiring women cover the issue, there is one space which appears blank.
However the Duchess explained in her Instagram caption there’s an important reason for this.
“The sixteenth space on the cover, a mirror, was included so that when you hold the issue in your hands, you see yourself as part of this collective,” she explained.
British Vogue editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful also commented in his own Instagram post.
“The 16th slot will appear as a mirror on the printed cover, and was included at the special request of the Duchess to show that you – that all of us, in fact – are part of this moment too.”
The 15 women who star on the cover are: Adwoa Aboah, Adut Akech, Ramla Ali, Jacinda Ardern, Sinead Burke, Gemma Chan, Laverne Cox, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek Pinault, Jameela Jamil, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Francesca Hayward, Yara Shahidi, Greta Thunberg and Christy Turlington Burns.
The Duchess also interviewed former American First Lady Michelle Obama for the issue.
According to Edward, Meghan never considered featuring herself in the lineup.
“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,” he said.