British Vogue say they have registered the passing of three monarchs in its 106-year history, commemorating the loss of George V, George VI and now Elizabeth II with a royal purple cover free of any adornment. In Her Majesty the Queen’s case, the November 2022 issue reflects not only the continuity of her line, but also the much-mourned absence of Britain’s longest reigning sovereign.
“The keynote of her character is a perfectly transparent sincerity: sincerity of purpose [and] sincerity of devotion to her duty,” Vogue wrote upon her accession in 1952. Seventy years later, those words still rang true.
Speaking of the November issue, Edward Enninful, editor in chief of British Vogue said: “British Vogue itself was already 10 years old when the Queen was born in 1926. Despite her record-breaking reign, she was, by the time of her Coronation in 1953, the fourth monarch in this magazine’s life. In rare tribute, royal purple envelopes this month’s special commemorative cover for the first time since 1952. On page 170, the worlds of fashion, culture and politics share their fondest memories of Her Majesty, while on page 164 we look at the special bonds that run through the generations of women who precede and succeed her, as captured in the magazine through the decades. On page 180, former press secretary Colleen Harris writes exclusively on the approaching reign of His Majesty King Charles III, a man she long worked with.” You can read his full article here.
British Vogue’s Hayley Maitland explained some of the tradition behind The Royal Purple Cover for the November 2022 issue here.
The publisher says the November issue of British Vogue is available via
digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 18th October.
