Prince William plans to guest-edit Country Life magazine later this year

In 2019, the Duchess of Sussex guest-edited an issue of British Vogue, and it was a months-long controversy. They yelled at Meghan for not appearing on the cover, for who she chose as “changemakers,” and for a million other nitpicky and racist things. One of my favorite criticisms was “but royals aren’t supposed to guest-edit magazines, Meghan is such a gauche American who doesn’t understand our system!” Bless their hearts. King Charles and Queen Camilla have both guest-edited Country Life several times over the years, and now (magically) the heir to the throne is going to do the same. But… but… gauche! Try-hard! Royals don’t guest-edit magazines!

The Prince of Wales will guest-edit Country Life as a “passionate countryman” and advocate for rural mental health services. Prince William, 43, will follow in the footsteps of the King and Queen by becoming a guest editor of the 129-year-old magazine.

He will be taking charge of the November 11 issue to celebrate his love of the countryside and desire to protect the environment, it was announced on Wednesday.

It is understood the Prince’s edition will also reflect his advocacy for improving access to mental-health services in rural areas and celebrate “what a passionate countryman he is”. The magazine will include his “most cherished” view in the country, his favourite recipe and painting, and his own selection of “notable rural champions”.

Mark Hedges, Country Life’s editor-in-chief, said: “I’m completely thrilled that the Prince of Wales has agreed to edit a very special issue of Country Life. Having met with him last week to discuss his plans for his edition, I was struck by what a passionate countryman he is and how much he cares about the welfare of those who manage it.”

He added: “I believe that HRH’s views, concerns and hopes for its future will resonate deeply with our readers and I am excited to see how his energy and commitment to changing rural lives will be reflected in his curated edition.”

Previous Royal family guest editors include the King in 2013 and 2018 to mark his 65th and 70th birthdays, Princess Anne in 2020 and Queen Camilla in 2022. The Queen’s edition, released to mark her 75th birthday, became the biggest-selling issue in the magazine’s history, selling almost 70,000 copies and lifting sales throughout the rest of the year.

[From The Telegraph]

When Meghan guest-edited British Vogue, it became the fastest-selling issue in the magazine’s history, and they probably sold out of about 200K copies in ten days. Just FYI, since no one is mentioning it in all of this talk of royals suddenly being allowed to guest-edit magazines. As for William… lmao. I already feel sorry for the Country Life team tasked with working with William. Remember, this is a man who many believe is functionally illiterate, who can’t even be bothered to read briefing memos, much less books and magazines. William’s Kensington Palace staffers are going to need to brush up on their own country-life studies so that they can ghost-write and ghost-edit for poor Bill.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Kensington Palace.

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44 Responses to “Prince William plans to guest-edit Country Life magazine later this year”

  1. lady digby says:

    Is he going to pose for various action front cover photos?

  2. Tessa says:

    Knauf could be working on it . What does scooter know about editing

  3. Brassy Rebel says:

    William has finally figured out a way to “work” from home. He can watch his favorite TV shows and daydrink while his staff edits a magazine in his name. Perfect! Should count for at least ten public events.

  4. Monika says:

    November the 11th is Remembrance Day. Would this not distract from the events around that day? Just saying.

    • Moondust says:

      It was my first thought too

      • Monika says:

        Yes, the main events, the parade and wreath laying at the Cenotaph, are on Rememberance Sunday which is on the 8th of November this year. However Armestice day is still on the 11th of November and there are still some ceremonies to mark that day. Rememberance Sunday and Armestice day is one pf the big events in the royal calender.
        After all the fake outcry about Meghan and Harry overshadowing royal events just by breathing I thought KP would be more considerate in choosing a date for this kind of event.

    • BeanieBean says:

      If he’s guest editor for an issue with that date, he sure as heck ought to build on the theme of remembrance. We’ll see, he doesn’t strike me as a thinker.

    • Monika says:

      “This will also include his (William’s) advocacy for improving access to mental-health services in rural areas and celebrate “what a compassionate countryman he is””, including his most cherished view of the countriside, his favourite recipe and painting and his own collection of notable rural champions.
      @beaniebean this does not sound that there is any connection with rememberance day. This sounds more like self promotion for William.
      However the date for the edition is now public and maybe somebody gives a hint to KP what day the 11th of November actually is and they might adept the content of this edition.
      As you said we’ll see.

  5. Jane says:

    I wonder what his favourite view is? rose bushes?

  6. Jferber says:

    Comments on fire today. Thank you, Kaiser.

  7. Caitlin says:

    What a joke. And associating him with mental health is beyond the pale.

  8. Tessa says:

    The passionate countryman took away a public park so there would be privacy for him . The most recent forever home

  9. Jferber says:

    And Tessa, I’m so impressed that you NEVER let go of Will’s bald-faced lie that he jogged in Central Park in New York. As if that were even a flex and that he actually did it. If you’re gonna lie, make it good. Like he foiled a robbery while jogging in Central Park or stopped an abduction. Another obvious lie, but at least there’s a flex in it—hero Will.

    • Smart&Messy says:

      Lol yes, the CP run is one of the good ones. Especially because one of the other European princes actually did jog in CP as part of an event for diplomats because he was invited …within days of Peg’s supposed run. LOL

  10. Jais says:

    How to steal 150 acres of public parkland in 10 days.

  11. Lady Esther says:

    Awww, Country Life is a guilty pleasure (not just the magazine, which is mostly advertisements but the website). All those photos on gardening, getaways, flora and fauna from the terrace of your beautiful old country home, written in such a prim, boring style, it’s downright adorable. Camilla’s issue was “photographed” by Kate IIRC….

    I remember Charles’s recipe was for pheasant pie (shot on your own estate, of course) involving a reduction of pheasant broth, cream and then, in a Parmesan cheese spin on a Mornay sauce, baked in the oven. Yum. And Camilla had a tarragon chicken recipe with spring vegetables to die for….I even enjoy getting judgy about Tom Parker Bowles’ “food expert” articles (NEW POTATOES OF THE SEASON, HOW EXCITING!).

    With William it’s likely to be “Which KP staffer is assigned to write the AI prompts and which one to pass them through all the courtiers, and then showing William the photos from his photoshoot, because William won’t read the text”?

  12. Jay says:

    Ironic, given that William is maybe the maybe the least “country” of all the royals, right? He lives in London and Windsor most of the time, he rides that ridiculous e-scooter instead of horses, and he wouldn’t be able to hammer in a single nail to fix a fence ( we’ve seen him in action). At least Charles has his gardening and his mushroom farming.

    I think it might be very entertaining to see the version of “country squire flat-capped cosplay” from KP’s comms team.

  13. Me at home says:

    Will Willy mention his love of hunting? Because Country Life is squarely in the pro-hunting camp. Also, it’s a mag for toffs, especially all the property ads in the front, and subscriptions are not cheap. I guess toffs are squarely Willy’s base. That said, we used to pick through the property ads in our Scottish granny’s issues for our imaginary dream homes (a pool, stables, and a tennis court, also it’s listed?).

    Agree Willy’s staff is writing his contribution, not him.

  14. Julie says:

    Their obsession with the Duchess of success, excuse me, Sussex, is astonishing. Their fixation is unbelievably pathetic and creepy. William is an embarrassment to himself and his country and I can’t imagine how lame this edition will be.

  15. Tessa says:

    Also a great statesman photo as he sits with the donald. Listening to all the flattery

  16. YankeeDoodles says:

    Didn’t William drop out of a specially curated course in agricultural management that Charles had highly recommended to him in order to prepare his heir for his future duties as Duke of Cornwall? Was this at Oxford or Cambridge, back when Prince George was a babe in arms?

    • Jay says:

      Yes, he did! It was a “bespoke” course apparently created just for him and he couldn’t even manage to complete it. It reminded me of US Schools that have specialty classes like “Sports and Media” just for their athletes so they can keep their scholarships and play in the big games, except for those athletes have to accomplish something.

    • Becks1 says:

      oh Charles did not just “recommend” it to him – it was created just for him and I think he was told to take it. And then he dropped out because he couldn’t be bothered. I think it was Cambridge but could have been Oxford.

    • irisrose says:

      He failed to complete the first course years earlier.

      He also failed to complete the bespoke Cambridge course, but it gave him a public excuse to live separate from Kate for months. Because he was “studying” and living in that area instead of with her.

  17. Well someone will be doing the guest editing but it certainly won’t be the knucklehead Peg but he will take credit for it!

    • Hypocrisy says:

      IKR? This man has been reported as not reading anything like books or briefings so who is going to actually be doing the work because it isn’t the “illiterate heir”.

  18. therese says:

    That’s after he learns how to read, you know. But he has minions, so someone can read stuff to him. Delicate Bill.

  19. Amy Bee says:

    Where is the outrage that a royal is guest-editing a magazine? Is William’s team going to do most of the work for this issue?

    • BaileyS says:

      Right!! What was it? “Royals don’t guest edit magazines” – Dan Wootton

      • Lucky Charm says:

        “Previous Royal family guest editors include the King in 2013 and 2018”
        I guess ole Dan forgot that (then Prince) Charles guest-edited a magazine TWICE before Meghan did in 2019.

  20. Siri says:

    H & M’s Australia trip must really have the left-behinds SHOOK. They are really trying to put themselves out there now with the publicity. Maybe it’s to get ahead of H & M’s UK trip.

  21. Mego says:

    Somebody will do all the work and he will pin his name down on it. That’s all.

  22. Teagirl says:

    Those two pictures, the plane and the train, are certainly working overtime. Every time they want to embiggen William as a statesman, businessman, philanthropist, always working, those two pictures are always used.

    • Tessa says:

      He’s trying to channel those photographs of politicians “working” on trains. Major fail.

    • BeanieBean says:

      That’s a very thin notebook, with very few papers inside. I notice it has his cypher on it. Boy, I bet Kate is jealous! Her notebook is a lot smaller and only says ‘NOTEBOOK’ on it!

  23. Aimee says:

    And when will William be accessing those mental health services??

  24. Jferber says:

    Me at Home, of course William loves killing things. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

  25. BeanieBean says:

    Y’all remember that time Kate guest-edited, guest-wrote, did something with some online magazine or something? They did a big PR rollout, filmed her walking into a conference room, sitting down at a computer screen, and somebody pointed at a key to press & she pressed it? Then she stood up, smiled, shook hands, and left? I’m thinking William’s gig will be something similar.

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