Royals Royals in 'Vogue' ! Meghan Markle Follows in the Footsteps of Kate Middleton and Princess Diana In June 2016, Kate Middleton appeared on the cover of British Vogue in honor of the magazine's 100th anniversary special issue By Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit is a Royals Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 2, 2018 04:39 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Meghan Markle is making history as the first-ever guest editor of British Vogue’s September issue, but she’s not the first royal to appear on the iconic magazine’s pages. The Duchess of Sussex revealed in her candid editor’s letter that she secretly worked on the project for months, all while preparing for the arrival of her son Archie Harrison. “I was about five months pregnant when this process began, and by the time you hold this issue in your hands, my husband and I will be holding our three-month-old baby boy in ours,” Meghan, 37, wrote. “It’s a very special time for me personally, on so many levels; working with Edward and his team, both during my pregnancy and my maternity leave, has played no small part in that joy — it has been a privilege to be welcomed and supported by this amazing team.” Meghan met editor-in-chief Edward Enninful for the first time in January to collaborate with her women-focused patronage, Smart Works. The result is their “Forces for Change” issue, featuring 15 trailblazing women. Among the group are actors and models, politicians and authors, and advocates for everything from diversity and mental health to climate change and voting rights. Meghan said their goal was to create an issue of “both substance and levity,” with features such an interview of Dr. Jane Goodall by Prince Harry and a Q&A about motherhood with Michelle Obama. Just last year, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie put their fashion foot forward to appear in British Vogue‘s September issue. The sisters opened the doors of their childhood home, the Royal Lodge in Windsor, for their first-ever joint interview, where they discussed everything from Eugenie’s upcoming nuptials to Jack Brooksbank (where older sis Beatrice served as maid of honor) to their breakdowns stemming from public scrutiny. Photographer Sean Thomas also caught the girls looking their best while posing on a bench with their pet Norfolk Terriers. Eugenie wore an embroidered black coat and yellow peony dress by Erdem along with black loafers embellished with pearls. Beatrice posed in a velvet Dolce & Gabbana double-breasted coat with red piping over with a ruffled dress by Ashley Williams London and Chanel brogues. Prince Harry Reveals the ‘Maximum’ Number of Children He Wants to Have with Meghan Markle Sean Thomas In June 2016, Kate Middleton appeared on the cover of British Vogue in honor of the magazine’s 100th anniversary special issue. The images, taken by London-born photographer Josh Olins in Norfolk’s English countryside, feature the mother (now of three!) in a simple striped t-shirt, a $7,500 charcoal brown double-breasted suede coat by Burberry and more, and capture what the magazine called her “great sense of humor.” IAN GAVAN/AFP/Getty JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty “This was the Duchess’s first sitting for a magazine and she was a joy to work with, a natural,” Olins said in a press release. “I am incredibly grateful to [former editor-in-chief] Alexandra Shulman for placing her faith in me for such an important and historic assignment.” However, Kate is usually behind the camera: she graduated with a degree in History of Art from St. Andrew’s University and has shot some of royal fans’ favorite photos of her children. Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty But before the modern era of royals ruled the style world, Princess Diana left her mark. When photographer Patrick Demarchelier was asked to shoot Diana for British Vogue in 1990, he requested to bring in his own hair and makeup team, including hairstylist Sam McKnight. “Mary Greenwell and I were told it was someone important, but we had no idea who,” McKnight wrote in his book Hair by Sam McKnight. “We guessed it might be Margaret Thatcher, and then in walked Diana.” Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Ray Tang/Anadolu Agency/Getty RELATED VIDEO: Behind the Scenes of the Princess Diana Dress Exhibit The stylist worked his magic, tucking her hair into a tiara to make it appear shorter. Turns out, Diana loved the look — and spontaneously decided it was time for a change. “As she was leaving Diana asked, if I had free reign what would I do to her hair,” McKnight recalled. “I suggested cutting it short and she, to my surprise, agreed, and we did it there and then.”