Salma Hayek is set to partake in the first British Vogue Forces for Change event next month. The Mexican-born actress was one of 15 women who were picked by Meghan Markle for her guest-edited British Vogue September issue . “Some, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and enlisted personally for this issue, others I’ve admired from afar for their commitment to a cause, their fearlessness in breaking barriers, or what they represent simply by being. These are our forces for change,” the Duchess of Sussex said of the women in her editor’s letter.
Salma will be participating in the Change-Maker Talks on March 7 during the Women of The World Festival at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. According to British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, the evening will include “intimate discussion and inspiration.” Per British Vogue, the event will explore topics “like diversity, mental health and sustainability – arising from British Vogue’s landmark Forces For Change September issue,” which has since become the fastest selling issue in the magazine’s 103-year history. Although Meghan will be back in the UK at the time of the event, she is scheduled to appear at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall alongside Prince Harry that evening. The former American actress and the Duke of Sussex will be returning from Canada to carry out their final royal engagements .
Back in August, Salma opened up about keeping the Duchess’ Forces for Change project a secret from her husband François-Henri Pinault and speaking to Prince Harry’s wifeon the phone. "[Meghan] introduced herself and was very kind and loving and easy going," Salma told CNN. “[Meghan] explained her passion for women and what's happening currently. And then she said she's doing this with British Vogue. She said, you know, she was the guest editor of British Vogue, and I'm thinking maybe it's going to be an article on what we're doing, you know, with Kering and women, and she said no, 'I'm [doing a cover], I'm not going to be the cover, I'm putting my favorite women on the cover. And you're definitely one of them. You one of the first ones.' I was like completely shocked. I did not see it coming that way. She started talking about how she's been watching me and why me."
While they had yet to meet at the time, Salma teased that “maybe” they would now, though she noted, “Maybe it's not something you're gonna see.” The Frida star, who is an advocate for women, said, "I think we had a connection before we even talked to each other. The shock is that this person had been watching me and I had no idea. It's really beautiful and I really do think that we have a special connection."