Meghan Markle accused of copying her Vogue cover from a book she helped produce

Duchess of Sussex guest-edited the September issue of Vogue

Just a day after Meghan Markle revealed the British Vogue cover that she guest-edited, the Duchess of Sussex has been accused of copying the cover design from the book The Game Changers, which she’d helped produce.

The cover of the upcoming September issue of Vogue, called Forces for Change, features a black-and-white grid of 15 women chosen by the duchess who are “raising the bar for equality, kindness, justice and open-mindedness”. The 16th spot on the cover is a mirror so readers include themselves on the list.

However, nearly three years ago, authors Samantha Brett and Steph Adams published The Game Changers, which also features a black-and-white grid cover of 15 inspirational women, including Meghan.

In addition to appearing on the cover, the Duchess of Sussex also wrote an essay for the book.

On Monday, after numerous people pointed out the similarities, Brett acknowledged the cover likeness of the two publications, telling the DailyMail: “It’s obviously very flattering, she obviously likes our concept!

“I love Meghan and am a huge fan, but if what people are alerting us to is true, then it’s extremely disappointing.”

On Twitter, the author also retweeted one person who pointed out that the cover is not the only similarity between the The Game Changers and Vogue’s Forces of Change issue.

The tweet reads: “It’s not just the cover either; Royal officials said the Vogue issue featured ‘trailblazing change-makers united by their fearlessness’

“A publicity blurb for The Game Changers from 2016 said it was about ‘fearless, trailblazing’ women who were changing the world.”

However, despite the allegations of plagiarism, Brett also acknowledged that the resemblance between the two covers could be merely a coincidence.

“Flattered! It does look rather familiar… or maybe just a coincidence?” she wrote on Twitter.

The Game Changers sold out when it was first released in 2016, according to the DailyMail. It was republished in 2017 with an updated cover.

The September issue of Vogue, the first issue to be guest-edited by a member of the royal family, highlights women Meghan admires, including activist and model Adwoa Aboah, actor and activist Jameela Jamil, climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, among others.

The issue, which will be available on newsstands and via digital download on Friday 2 August, also features an interview with former First Lady Michelle Obama.