The Duchess of Sussex appears alongside Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and singer Dua Lipa in Vogue magazine’s inaugural guide to Britain’s 25 most influential and aspirational female figures.
Dubbed Vogue 25, the list is comprised of what the fashion publication says is “an extraordinary cast of leaders defining – and redefining – the way we live now”.
The handpicked women vary in age from 22 (Lipa) to 73 (Baroness Hale, the President of the Supreme Court), and includes figures from the worlds of politics, the arts, fashion, media and sport, among others.
Following her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is hailed as a person who “captured the public imagination like no other this year” by Vogue.
The magazine says that Meghan – “one of the most recognisable women in the world” – has an influence that “stretches far beyond the ceaseless coverage of her style – as a bi-racial campaigning feminist from America, she is helping to forge a new 21st Century identity for the monarchy”.
Ms Davidson is praised as a “beacon, thanks to her relatable personality and progressive ideas” among a “sea of old-guard Tories” by the magazine.
The publication also cites the openly gay politician’s “spectacular gains for her party in the last Scottish elections” as a reason for her position on its list.
Lipa, who won two Brit Awards earlier this year after being the first woman to receive five nominations on one night, is described by Vogue as a “culture definer”.
“Her hit New Rules, an anthem of female empowerment, laid out a blueprint for modern sex lives and has, to date, had more than a billion views on YouTube,” the magazine says.
The list also includes Harry Potter author JK Rowling, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, Black Panther actress Letitia Wright, fashion designer Stella McCartney, artistic director of the Royal Court Vicky Featherstone and models Edie Campbell and Adwoa Aboah.
Music executive and Skepta’s manager Grace Ladoja, writer and academic Sinead Burke and Collette Roche, the chief operating officer of Manchester United, also appear.
The feature appears in the July issue of Vogue, on sale on Friday June 8.