The Royal Who Graces The Latest Cover Of British Vogue Isn't Who You Think

The first people who likely come to mind when you hear about royals on the cover of a magazine are Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, or maybe even Princess Eugenie. However, you should brace yourself for who the latest royal cover star is as it's someone unexpected — Queen Elizabeth II. That's right, the queen will appear on the April 2022 cover of British Vogue, according to the publication's Instagram post. If that seems weird, well, that's because it's the first time it's ever happened. If there's ever a time for the Queen to grace the cover, though, it's now.

The cover comes at an extremely special time for the royal family. Queen Elizabeth is celebrating a Platinum Jubilee, which is a celebration of her 70 years of service for the country. It's the first time that any member of the royal family has made it to seven decades of service (via Royal UK). "As Her Majesty becomes the first British monarch in history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, the April issue explores Vogue's unique relationship with the royal," the British Vogue Instagram caption reads. 

The cover image might surprise you as well since the black and white image is probably not what you expected.

Queen Elizabeth II did not sit for an original cover shoot for British Vogue. Instead, the publication used a photograph from 1957 by Antony Armstrong Jones. The image is black and white and shows a 31-year-old Queen Elizabeth just five years into her role as Head of State. It might be a throwback, but the Queen proves that there's one accessory that doesn't go out of style — a crown. 

The Queen's cover comes at a celebratory time, but also a confusing one. Queen Elizabeth has been on "light duty" since catching COVID. Her first public appearance of the year was just ahead of the Platinum Jubilee, which took place on February 6. Since then, she has not been seen in public. Heck, there was even a conspiracy theory that she already passed away.

Regardless of what the queen has been up to lately, no one can deny that this is one heck of British Vogue cover. If you're hoping for an interview inside the pages, you can keep dreaming. Unfortunately, it looks like the closest you'll come to is the "rarely seen images from the archive at Vogue House" (via Instagram).

The Queen isn't the only royal to be offered a British Vogue cover. In fact, she's not the only one who has taken an unconventional spin on her British Vogue cover, either. In 2019, Meghan Markle was offered the cover of the magazine, but wasn't ever actually on the cover. Instead, she titled the cover "Forces For Change" and featured 15 inspiration women on the cover instead. People did get to hear her voice on the inside, though, as she interviewed Michelle Obama. 

Kate Middleton actually graced the cover of British Vogue for her spotlight. In 2016, the Duchess of Cambridge appeared on the cover of "Vogue's 100 Years" edition front and center. She did not give an inside interview, but she was looking gorgeous in an emerald hat and brown jacket. While some saw the cover as controversial, others thought it was great that she was finally becoming more public as a royal.

It's fun to see all the different ways that the royals have interacted with the public over the years. With or without the covers, these are some extraordinary women.