Former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter has described the Duchess of Sussex as “slightly adrift on the facts and reality”.

Mr Carter, who edited the magazine when Meghan Markle appeared on the cover in 2017 – before her marriage to Prince Harry – recounted an incident where the then-actress questioned the focus of the accompanying interview.

He recalled Meghan challenging the reporter, asking: “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.”

Mr Carter, speaking to the New York Post, admitted his unfamiliarity with Meghan at the time, stating, “I have no idea who that is.”

The magazine’s cover booker justified the story by saying, “because she’s going to marry Prince Harry”, Mr Carter recounted.

“This woman is slightly adrift on the facts and reality,” he said.

The anecdote comes as Meghan shared a rare family photo on her Instagram accounts, featuring her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The image shows a tender moment with five-year-old Archie embracing his mother while she holds three-year-old Lilibet, who carries a wicker basket. The photo, set in a garden, was accompanied by a collection of Meghan’s style inspirations and purchase links.

The post, which did not show the children’s faces, was captioned “Every day is a love story”, alongside a dove of peace emoji.

In a story, she posted a ShopMy link featuring a collection of clothes and accessories, with the message: “Many of you have asked, so here you go! A little shopping to start the week. More to come”.

A message on the ShopMy page read: “A handpicked and curated collection of the things I love — I hope you enjoy them!” with the addition “Please note, some products may contain commissionable links”.

The mostly neutral coloured items included an oversized white shirt by Reformation for £128, a beige Uniqlo raincoat costing £99.90 and a gold Maya Brenner Happiness Retreat citrine stone necklace, made in collaboration with Meghan’s former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, for £383.

Meghan has faced widespread critical reviews of her Netflix lifestyle show With Love, Meghan this month, but has already filmed a second season and is focusing on her new brand As Ever.

Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos backed the duchess last week, saying she and Harry are “overly dismissed”.

The Sussexes signed a multimillion-pound deal with the streaming giant after stepping down from the working monarchy in 2020.

Their most successful output so far has been their controversial Harry & Meghan documentary about their struggles in the royal family.

Netflix has also become a partner in the duchess’s As Ever business, with the first products set to include raspberry jam, herbal tea and a ready-made crepe mix.

Meghan also added a new story to her Instagram account, featuring footage of birds flying in formation against a blue sky and the sun, and with the sound of the ocean, alongside the message: “Flying into the week with my family (Thanks to my H for capturing this!).”

Squeals of delight can be heard – presumably the voices of Archie and Lili – with one of the youngsters shouting “Wow”.