When planning the cover shoot for British Vogue's September issue, Meghan Markle had a specific request for photographer Peter Lindbergh.
"My instructions from the duchess were clear: 'I want to see freckles!'" Lindbergh told the magazine, noting he spoke to the Duchess of Sussex over the phone on the morning of the New York shoot. "Well, that was like running through open doors for me. I love freckles."
In fact, it seemed like the royal, who guest edited the issue, and the magazine's editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, were in complete agreement about hiring Lindbergh for the job.
"It was one of those brilliantly spontaneous moments when HRH The Duchess of Sussex and I had exactly the same idea at exactly the same time," Enninful said. "Peter sees beauty in real people, in real situations. He makes everybody feel their best."
Meghan's request should come as no surprise to royal admirers. After all, the duchess worked with Lindbergh for her 2017 cover story with Vanity Fair.
"I've always loved my freckles," she told the magazine at the time, noting that she was "thrilled to work with Peter because he rarely retouches and he believes in such little makeup."
"I gave him a big hug and said, 'I am so excited to work with you because I know we will finally be able to see my freckles!'" she added.
Fans could also spot Meghan's freckles on her wedding day with Prince Harry. In addition, Archie Harrison's mother previously noted that having her freckles removed from a photo was a "pet peeve."
"To this day, my pet peeve is when my skin tone is changed and my freckles are airbrushed out of a photo shoot," she told Allure in 2017. "For all my freckle-faced friends out there, I will share with you something my dad told me when I was younger: 'A face without freckles is a night without stars.'"
Meghan is the first person to edit a September issue of British Vogue. While she didn't appear on the magazine's cover, she helped choose the 15 "brilliant female changemakers" who did. The women have all "had a laudable impact in recent times" and "are set to reshape society in radical and positive ways in the future."
The cover stars include: Jane Fonda, Laverne Cox, Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek, Jameela Jamil, Yara Shahidi, Christy Turlington, Adwoa Aboah, Adut Akech, Ramla Ali, Sinead Burke, Francesca Hayward, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Greta Thunberg and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
In addition, Meghan interviewed former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, and the Duke of Sussex interviewed Dr. Jane Goodall. According to the couple's Instagram account, Meghan spent the last seven months working to "create an issue of inclusivity and inspiration" and one that focused on "what connects us rather than what divides us."
Fans can find the September issue on newsstands starting Aug. 2.