Meghan Markle appears to have suffered a snub as the royal was not included in a milestone anniversary.
People Magazine has issued a historic front cover with several celebrities to mark the publication's 50th anniversary.
Meghan, 42, was not among the cover stars, despite her "best friends" speaking exclusively to the magazine in 2019.
Celebrities on the front cover included Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Viola Davis, Serena Williams and Oprah Winfrey.
Meghan appeared to suffer a royal snub
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Williams and Winfrey are both known to have a close friendship with Meghan. The tennis star appeared on the Duchess of Sussex's podcast, Archetypes, which was released on Spotify.
Meanwhile, Winfrey lives near Meghan and Prince Harry in Montecito, and famously interviewed the couple in March 2021.
Despite not appearing on the latest front cover, Meghan has a complex history with People Magazine.
Five women from her inner circle famously spoke to the publication in 2019 to “stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend”.
PEOPLE is celebrating 50 years! In honor of our anniversary, our cover stars are looking back on some of their first features in the magazine. Pick up your issue on newsstands this week. #PeopleIs50 https://t.co/sXny0GJUL3 pic.twitter.com/Lffr2yhRW3
— People (@people) April 10, 2024
The article in the publication mentioned a handwritten note that the Duchess of Sussex sent her father Thomas Markle in August 2018.
The duchess later identified the five close friends who gave an interview to People magazine.
However, she denied she authorised them to do it in the bombshell documents released as part of her High Court battle against the press.
Meghan, 42, had sued the Mail on Sunday's publisher, Associated Newspapers, for reproducing parts of the handwritten letter, claiming it was a breach of privacy.
Meghan's friends spoke to People in defence of the duchess in 2019
ReutersLATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Meghan Markle stepped down as a working royal in 2020PAAt the time when People Magazine released the original article, they referred to the duchess's friends as "Meghan's inner circle – a longtime friend, a former co-star, a friend from LA, a one-time colleague and a close confidante".
In court documents, Meghan added that she "did not know about the interview having been given, and only found out about it, and any reference to the Letter, after the People magazine article was published".
The duchess also said that she found out an article was due to appear just before it was published, but did not know the publication or its contents.
Meghan's legal team added that she was "aware that her friends were deeply worried for her mental health as a result of her treatment by the UK tabloid media".