Salma Hayek was the only Vogue cover star who knew Meghan Markle was guest editor

‘I couldn't talk about it and I didn't’

Salma Hayek has revealed she was the only cover star of British Vogue's September issue who knew the Duchess of Sussex had been appointed guest editor.

On Sunday, the fashion publication announced Meghan had been working with the magazine's editor Edward Enninful for the past seven months to compile the issue, titled "Forces for Change".

Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, the actor recalled how she received a mysterious phone call from Enninful, who told her not to say aloud the name of the person he was patching her through to as she was in a car with other people at the time.

To Hayek’s surprise, the 37-year-old royal then came on the phone and introduced herself and started discussing a “project in support of women” that she wanted the actor to be involved with.

Hayek, who has worked with women’s charities throughout her career, including the Kering Foundation and Chime for Change, initially thought the duchess wanted to team up to benefit a particular organisation.

“Then she said she’s doing this with British Vogue,” Hayek recalled, thinking perhaps Meghan wanted to write or commission a piece about one of the charities she worked with.

“She said no, ‘I’m [doing a cover], I’m not going to be the cover, I’m putting my favourite women on the cover. And you’re definitely one of them.”

Hayek explained that she was “completely shocked” by the news and went on to reveal how she was one of the only woman on the cover photoshoot who knew that the duchess was involved with the issue.

“I couldn’t talk about it and I didn’t,” she said. “I felt very honoured when we did this photo shoot. No one else knew what it was for. Only me and the photographer, Peter Lindbergh, knew.

“And all the girls were getting their picture taken for the cover and they didn’t know that Meghan was how they got there.”

British Vogue's September issue, guest edited by the Duchess of Sussex (Peter Lindbergh/PA Wire)

For the September issue, Meghan chose 14 women in addition to Hayek to feature on the cover, including environmentalist Greta Thunberg, actor Gemma Chan and mental health campaigner and model Adwoa Aboah.

The September issue of British Vogue is available on newsstands and via digital download from Friday 2 August.

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