Ex-Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter’s scathing five-word takedown of Meghan Markle

Former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter had a simple but scathing, five-word takedown of Meghan Markle in a new interview – just days after he said she was ‘adrift on reality.’

While speaking with Interview Magazine in a piece published on Thursday, the Air Mail founder was asked on his thoughts about The Duchess.

The interview was published in the magazine’s Rorschach Test section, where they ask interview subjects to share their ‘gut reactions to today’s most pressing matters.’

‘The Undine Spragg of Montecito,’ Carter replied when asked his thoughts about Markle.

For those unfamiliar, his reference was to the main character in The Custom of the Country, a tragicomedy by author Edith Wharton that was published in 1913.

The book tells the story of Spragg, a social climber who moves from the Midwest to New York to experience the high life.

Spragg then marries a man from Manhattan’s high society, but she’s never satisfied because of her greed and ambition. 

On Goodreads, Spragg is described as ‘vain, spoiled, and selfish.’

Former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter had a simple but scathing, five-word takedown of Meghan Markle in a new interview – just days after he said she was ‘adrift on reality’

‘The Undine Spragg of Montecito,’ Carter replied when asked about Markle, speaking to Interview Magazine

DailyMail.com reached out to Meghan’s representatives for comment.  

Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time that a writer has compared Meghan to that of Wharton’s character.

In 2021, author Claire Messud juxtaposed Spragg to Meghan in a piece for The New York Times Style Magazine.

‘It isn’t hard to find contemporary examples of tenacious social climbing all around us, whether in Hollywood or Washington, D.C., or at the fancy dinner parties of New York, Palm Beach, Dallas or San Francisco,’ Messud wrote at the time.

‘Consider the humbler or parochial origins of many a rich or powerful man’s beautiful wife or girlfriend,’ she continued.

‘For these women, marriage often works like a business, a carefully calculated investment in the future. But perhaps the present-day celebrity who most readily recalls Undine Spragg is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, or Rachel Meghan Markle of Woodland Hills, Calif., as she once was.’

The piece then goes on as a critical comparison of the two.

Carter’s recent comments come just a few days after he told Page Six about his time working with Meghan as she was the cover story of Vanity Fair’s October 2017 issue.

In 2021, author Claire Messud juxtaposed Spragg to Meghan in a piece for The New York Times Style Magazine

During the interview, the editor also commented on what the late Princess Diana may think of Prince Harry and Prince William’s unfortunate rift

Carter told Page Six about the moment, ‘This woman is slightly adrift on the facts and reality’

He has admitted that he initially had ‘no idea’ who Meghan was when one of his team suggested her for the cover, asking them initially: ‘Why should we do a story on her?’ His colleague swiftly replied: ‘Because she’s going to marry Prince Harry.’  

But when a Vanity Fair reporter interviewed Meghan she apparently snapped: ‘Excuse me, is this going to all be about Prince Harry? Because I thought we were going to be talking about my charities and my philanthropy.’

Carter told Page Six about the moment, ‘This woman is slightly adrift on the facts and reality.’

During the interview, the editor also commented on what the late Princess Diana may think of Prince Harry and Prince William’s unfortunate rift.

Carter knew Princess Diana and had sat next to her at many dinners.

‘I would think she would feel great sorrow for her son to have been pulled away from his family like this, especially his brother but also his father… ,’ Carter said. 

‘Anytime someone comes between siblings that’s a disaster, horrible for a family.’