British Vogue is known for fashion. While it’s sometimes criticized for not being diverse enough, it’s also known for being daring when it comes to fashion trends. 

The June issue of British Vogue is quite daring as well, and it’s not receiving criticism but praise. The cover model is Dame Judy Dench. At 85 years old, the actress is the oldest model to ever grace the magazine’s cover. She is particularly well known for her roles in the movies “Shakespeare in Love” and the James Bond movie “Skyfall.”

 

Dench posed for the magazine’s photos in early March, before the coronavirus pandemic caused a lockdown in the U.K. In her interview in the magazine, she talks about the current crisis. 

“I am sure I feel like everyone else, such unprecedented times are quite hard to comprehend. What is a good thing is that it has made people aware of the predicament of others who are completely alone. If a great deal of kindness comes out of this, then that will be a plus.”

Edward Enninful, British Vogue’s editor-in-chief, is thrilled to have Dench on the cover of his magazine. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see Dame Judi Dench, the unassailable queen of stage and screen, starring on her first Vogue cover at the age of 85.” 

Enninful is the first man and the first non-white editor-in-chief of British Vogue. He was born in Ghana and raised in London, and he has made it a personal goal to bring more diversity to the magazine. In December 2017, on his first ever issue, he put Adwoa Aboah, a black British model, on the cover. Then in 2018, he put Halima Aden, the first hijabi woman, on the cover. Now, he’s featuring Dench at age 85.