For the Royals, What Counts as Being Political?

 

The moment you descend onto St. Barths (descend is literal—one must take a nose dive to land on the West Indies island), you know you’re in for something spectacular. The crystalline waters are dotted with yachts, often of the mega variety, and the beaches filled with sunbathers wearing Eugenia Kim hats and basket bags from Loewe. Nestled into the hillside are white villas with red roofs and sprawling vistas ahead of them.First, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (née Markle), penned a passionate open letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to advocate for paid family leave. Then, word trickled out last week that she’d cold-called at least two Republican senators—Shelley Capito and Susan Collins—about the issue, which currently hangs in limbo in Congress. Blowback quickly followed: After Meghan published her letter, Republican Rep. Jason Smith pounced, saying Meghan and Prince Harry should be stripped of their royal titles based on their “interference in U.S. politics.” Meghan, mom of 5-month-old Lilibet and 2-year-old Archie, was further derided for using her title when introducing herself to the senators by phone.St. Barths has earned a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. If you’re on the island, it’s likely that several famous faces are there right alongside you. It’s easy to see why: the town, Gustavía, is full of upscale restaurants with a focus on local seafood, the default for hotels is five stars, and the beach clubs provide quite the party. Considering you’re spoiled for choice, here’s where to stay, eat, and play if you’re lucky enough to be headed to the glamorous isle.“There’s certainly a precedent among my husband’s family, and the royal family, of not having any involvement in politics,” Meghan continued, directly addressing the subtext. “But… paid leave, from my standpoint, is just a humanitarian issue.” Earlier in the conversation, she explained: “I think this is one of those issues that is not red or blue. We can all agree that people need support, certainly, when they’ve just had a child… It sets us up for economic growth and success, but it also just allows people to have that very sacred time as a family.”

 

 

There’s this phenomenon called Stendhal syndrome, when one feels a sense of shock when faced with great aesthetic beauty. That’s what it feels like to enter into the Cheval Blanc in St Barths, a LVMH-owned hotel that exudes French Riviera-esque glamour. Tropical greenery and flora enshrouds each walkway, and walls are adorned in bougainvillea arches. The pink-and-white adorned beach club somehow manages to be social yet still relaxing—sure, you can order a bottle of magnum Whispering Angel to your cabana, or you could just as easily nap on your day bed. The rooms, dotted with pops of turquoise and globally sourced art, exude a warm, tropical feel that doesn’t feel cheesy. Then there’s the infinity pool: It’s hard to know where it stops and the Caribbean begins.The “Rock” in Eden Rock is a nod to the hotel’s rockside locale, but also its vibe. Brimming with a buzzy, rock n’ roll style energy, the Eden Roc is the place to be for those who want an elevated scene—which is why so many people love going to St. Barths in the first place. It’s hard not to feel lively when lying on a brick-red sun bed next to the hotel’s rosé-sipping clientele, which has included everyone from Howard Hughes to Greta Garbot and Princess Lee Radziwill throughout its 60-year history. If you can pull yourself from the bathlike waters of St. Jean beach—the Eden Roc has the most swimmable beach on the island—you’re a mere minute walk from dance-on-table day clubs like Nikki Beach and Gyp Sea.The posh Le Toiny is for those seeking a discreet, romantic glamour. Located on the opposite side of the island from Gustavía, it is surrounded by wild and rugged terrain. To get to the beach club, guests must board an open-air white safari jeep that will navigate several steep dirt curves before reaching its luxurious, tucked away destination. (Tip: when you get there, order the lobster salad and a glass of Minuty rosé—and enjoy one of the most beautiful, and peaceful, beaches on the island.) The rooms are airy, crisp, and undoubtedly luxurious—plus, each comes with a private plunge pool with ocean views.

 

 

Meghan makes a salient and moving point: Just as healthcare should be a human right and not a political flashpoint, mothers should have the space to recover from birth; parents should be free to care for children however they arrive—and to support sick or dying loved ones—without having to sacrifice a paycheck. And yet the lines between humanitarian and political causes are continuously blurred, both in the U.S. and within The Firm. The modern monarchy is designed to transcend—and outlast—political squabbles. But what, exactly, the royals consider political seems to be a moving target.Around the same time that Meghan began speaking out about paid leave, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (a.k.a Kate Middleton) traveled to Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Climate change is a cause that the family has openly championed: Prince Charles is passionate about sustainable farming and wind energy and name-checks the “climate crisis, deforestation, and ocean pollution” on his official website and Prince William has established the new Earthshot Prize to encourage environmental innovation. But climate change, like paid leave, is a humanitarian issue wrapped in layers of partisan politics. In the U.K., there is debate about how decisively and radically to act; in the U.S., there is bullish conservative skepticism and inaction from both major parties.Where politics are concerned, going down the royal rabbit hole raises more questions than it answers. If climate change is fair game, why not racial justice? When the royals were silent on Black Lives Matter and the sweeping social justice protests that erupted in 2020, it was speculated that they considered the issue to be, yes, political. (A rep for The Queen later said she supports the movement.) The rules seem elastic, however: Prince William condemned racist harassment against English soccer players, but not racist, sexist media attacks on Meghan. In another instance, the royals were united in decrying a racially motivated hate crime: In 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan, then still senior working royals, attended a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old Black British man who was stabbed to death in 1993 by a group of white men while he waited for a bus. Prince Charles, too, sent a statement of solidarity.