A bare-faced Duchess of Sussex praises ‘authenticity’ on Harper’s Bazaar cover

For the front cover, the duchess wore a Dior jacket and trousers. Photo / Malick Bodian, Harper's Bazaar US

“Her hair is pulled back, and if she has any makeup on, it’s difficult to tell; her skin is bare, and some of her freckles are visible. She looks like she could still be in college.” That’s how the Duchess of Sussex is introduced in the winter issue of Harper’s Bazaar US, of which she is the cover star.

The cover interview begins in a “cluster of white tents” in LA, where Meghan receives a group of 11- and 12-year-old girls at an “active fossil-dig site”. Of particular interest to the interviewee is the duchess’ proficiency at French on Duolingo – she’s just hit a 90-day streak, since you ask.

According to an Instagram post from Samira Nasr, the glossy magazine’s editor-in-chief, the cover is a “culmination of a conversation that began five years ago”. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in those email chains.

It’s certainly a good get for the Hearst-owned title. This is the first time Meghan has covered a magazine since becoming a member of the royal family. The 44-year-old is wearing a black Dior Bar suit for the cover, paired with simple Tiffany diamond drop earrings, with her hair tied loosely.

Her “no make-up” look, credited to British make-up artist Diane Kendal, looks as if it features minimal product – a sweep of mascara here, a sheen of pale pink lipstick there. A recent Instagram video that showed a flash of Meghan’s dressing table revealed she’s a fan of barely-there products, but only time will tell whether she makes like Pamela Anderson and enters a “bare-faced beauty” era.

Meanwhile, inside, she wears a red cape dress by Balenciaga, whose Paris Fashion Week show she attended this season, as well as a series of quintessentially Meghan looks: wide-leg cream trousers by Proenza Schouler with a matching cashmere knit; black trousers and an unbuttoned Celine shirt; and a pencil skirt, blouse and trench that seemingly pays homage to her Suits fame.

In the accompanying interview, she talks about launching her business, her decision to attend the Balenciaga show, and of course, her husband. “He loves me so boldly, fully, and he also has a different perspective because he sees media that I wouldn’t,” she says. “No one in the world loves me more than him, so I know he’s always going to make sure that he has my back.”

Of course, as with everything Meghan does, the aesthetic of the shoot would have been well thought out. As Terry Wood, former executive vice-president at Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey’s production company, tells the magazine:​​ “Meghan understands her voice better than you, better than any producer could put it out there. She knows how she comes across, and she knows how she wants to connect. She understands that so much has been written about her that when she does something, she wants to break through that noise so people see that she is authentically trying to be herself.”

Here’s what we can glean from the stylistic choices…

The clothes

Meghan has made no secret of her love for Dior, so it’s no surprise that she’s wearing a look from J.W. Anderson’s debut for the brand on the cover. She first wore the brand shortly after her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, and has since chosen couture pieces from the storied fashion house on numerous occasions, including the official christening portrait of her son Archie and Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. So close is Meghan to Dior that the latter was forced to put out a statement in 2023 denying rumours that she was about to be named an ambassador for the brand, working alongside other members of royal families, including Monaco’s Beatrice Borromeo.

The make-up

There’s a bit of a vogue right now for midlife women eschewing make-up and Meghan is clearly part of that trend. A natural beauty, the duchess has always opted for more of a natural look anyway, yet by keeping things minimal for the cover shoot, she’s showing that she isn’t willing to hold herself to society’s unattainable beauty standards.

It’s not the first time she’s made such a statement. Her wedding make-up look was memorably “less is more”, with her freckles showing through dewy skin. Her Harper’s Bazaar “no make-up make-up” look pares things back even further.

The hair

When Meghan was a working member of the royal family, she would occasionally catch some flak about how she styled her hair. Rather than the bouncy blowdries associated with the Princess of Wales, Meghan was much more likely to wear her hair in a messy bun, with wispy strands framing her face. It’s a look she chose for her 2018 wedding day to Harry too, and feels like her way of showing her breezy, laid-back attitude.

The pose

Looking directly at the camera, and with a hint of a smile on her face, the cover image shows Meghan in full-on portrait mode. With a lack of Hollywood mega-watt grin, she’s subtly nodding to her role in the royal family, as they rarely beam from ear to ear in portraits. Meanwhile, in the accompanying shoot, there are some black-and-white images that evoke Mario Testino’s portraits of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and of course, shots of Meghan barefoot – something that she is known for loving.

The cover line

Not only does the cover line utilise the duchess’ full royal title (no “just call me Meg” here) but it also adds, “Meets Her Moment”. There’s certainly a sense that she is finally finding her feet post-royal life, with the success of her As Ever brand, an upcoming Netflix Christmas special of her show With Love, Meghan, and a coveted spot on Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday guest list. As Meghan says in the interview: “I love being able to do both… to play in the sandbox with my kids and to play in the front row at a show. I think the moment that you start making all of your personal decisions based on external judgment, then you lose your authenticity.”

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