The Duchess of Sussex appears alongside the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, and the singer Dua Lipa in Vogue magazine’s inaugural guide to Britain’s 25 most influential and aspirational female figures.

Vogue 25 is a list of what the fashion publication says is “an extraordinary cast of leaders defining – and redefining – the way we live now”.

The women range in age from 22 (Lipa) to 73 (Baroness Hale, the president of the supreme court). Among them are figures from the worlds of politics, the arts, fashion, media and sport, among others.

The Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, is one of the most recognisable names on the list, along with the human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, Black Panther actress Letitia Wright, fashion designer Stella McCartney, the artistic director of the Royal Court, Vicky Featherstone, and the models Edie Campbell and Adwoa Aboah.

Also chosen are Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, along with reporters Amelia Gentleman, who exposed the Windrush scandal, and Carole Cadwalladr, who broke the Cambridge Analytica/Facebook story.

Following her wedding to Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex is hailed by Vogue as a person who “captured the public imagination like no other this year”.



The magazine says the duchess – “one of the most recognisable women in the world” – has an influence that “stretches far beyond the ceaseless coverage of her style – as a bi-racial campaigning feminist from America, she is helping to forge a new 21st century identity for the monarchy”.

Davidson is praised by the magazine as a “beacon, thanks to her relatable personality and progressive ideas” among a “sea of old-guard Tories”. The publication also cites the politician’s “spectacular gains for her party in the last Scottish elections” as a reason for her position on its list.

Lipa, who won two Brit Awards this year after being the first woman to receive five nominations on one night, is described by Vogue as a “culture definer”.

“Her hit New Rules, an anthem of female empowerment, laid out a blueprint for modern sex lives and has, to date, had more than a billion views on YouTube,” the magazine says.

The feature appears in the July issue of Vogue, on sale on Friday 8 June.



Vogue 25: the list