[Crimson Dynamo]

By aligning herself with the political Left, the Duchess threatens the
Royal Family's neutrality



Vogue's September cover, guest-edited by the Duchess of Sussex, was
unveiled to much fanfare over the weekend. According to Vogue editor

Edward Enninful, the Duchess believed that putting herself on the cover would
be "too boastful" and has instead opted to feature a selection of female
‘change-makers’. But does her eagerness to flaunt her woke credentials
amount to showing off by other means?

The cover certainly goes to great efforts to jump through all the ethical hoops
we have came to expect from public figures: Greta Thunberg ticks off climate
change, Salma Hayek and Jane Fonda fly the flag for feminism; transgender
actress Laverne Cox highlights the Duchess’s support for LGBTQ rights while
models Adwoa Aboah and Adut Akech promote fashion diversity. It’s the
perfect cocktail of political causes célèbres. With its symmetrical boxes and
black and white images, the cover looks strikingly similar to a carefully
curated Instagram feed.



Though the sheer volume of issues represented in the spread makes it difficult
to identify a unifying take-away message, it leaves little room for doubt
about the Duchess’s personal politics.


The most interesting cover stars chosen by the Duchess are, after all,
political: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern graces the cover while
inside the magazine is a conversation between Meghan and Michelle Obama.
There are no shortage of politicians with diverse backgrounds on the other
side of the spectrum – just look at the new Tory Cabinet. And yet the
Duchess has made little attempt to achieve political balance in her choice of
cover stars, drawn largely from the liberal-Left.

For high profile figures to virtue-signal in this way is nothing new – in fact,
we’ve grown to expect or even demand it. Taylor Swift’s music video You
Need to Calm Down is just one recent example of channeling woke causes for
commercial gain. But, as the Duchess of Sussex may discover, this strategy
used so effectively by celebrities becomes problematic when mixed with the
nuanced role of a Royal.


Few would dispute the causes championed by the Duchess of Sussex; novelist
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has consistently challenged racism in her writing
and nobody would argue with Yara Shahidi’s campaigns to encourage more
young people to vote. But by aligning herself so closely with the icons of the
political Left, the Duchess of Sussex threatens the Royal Family's closely
guarded neutrality.

The decision to divide the households of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
from the Sussexes has long been attributed to an alleged rift between Princes
Harry and William. But the need for the split is becoming increasingly
apparent: it may be much more political than a simple brotherly tiff. As future
king, Prince William cannot closely associate himself with the Sussexes’
increasingly political stance because it would undermine his future position as
sovereign.



The problem with today’s woke causes is that they have so much do with
words, so little to do with actions. Putting Greta Thunberg on the cover of
Vogue is one thing; giving up long haul flights to New York or LA quite another
.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...fraught-risks/