The Enduring Legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy’s Femme Fatale Cocktail and Historic Visit to Cambodia’s Hotel Le Royal
In 1967, Jacqueline Kennedy, widely recognized as a global icon following her husband’s assassination four years prior, journeyed to Cambodia during a tumultuous period of war. Her lodging of choice was the prestigious Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh’s premier address since its inception in 1929 under the reign of King Sisowath Monivong.
To commemorate her visit, the hotel’s bartender concocted a signature cocktail dubbed ‘Femme Fatale’, consisting of cognac, Champagne, and crème de fraise, garnished with a frangipani flower, served in a long-stemmed coupe glass. This elegant beverage remains on the menu to this day, offering a refreshing escape from Phnom Penh’s sweltering climate.
Four decades later, significant elements of the hotel have evolved; however, the Femme Fatale endures as a testament to Kennedy’s visit. During the renovations that followed Cambodia’s brutal civil war, an employee discovered the very glass from which Kennedy sipped her Femme Fatale – identified by a lipstick mark on the rim – and saved it. Today, this artifact, along with photographs documenting Kennedy’s trip to Phnom Penh, are displayed in a showcase outside the Elephant Bar.
The hotel boasts a Kennedy suite adorned with a portrait of the former first lady, gazing approvingly upon pristine white linens and cool tile floors. A vintage edition of Life magazine detailing her Cambodia trip, sourced by Raffles from eBay, can be found on a hallway table, pages open to the pertinent section.
According to Elizabeth J. Natalle, author of “Jacqueline Kennedy and the Architecture of First Lady Diplomacy”, Kennedy’s years following her White House tenure and preceding her remarriage represent a transitional period in her life. At this time, she was arguably the most famous and talked-about woman globally, with her love life under constant scrutiny alongside her fashion choices.
David Ormsby-Gore, a British aristocrat and former ambassador to the United States, accompanied Kennedy on her trip to Cambodia. During their visit to Angkor Wat, the massive UNESCO-listed complex in northern Cambodia, they maintained a low profile. However, letters unveiled posthumously revealed the depth of their affection – including Kennedy’s refusal of Ormsby-Gore’s proposal for marriage.
Natalle suggests that Kennedy struggled with undiagnosed PTSD following her husband’s assassination. Despite her apprehension towards traveling in open-top vehicles, recalling the one she was in during the fateful day of November 22, 1963, Kennedy agreed to do so as a gesture of goodwill towards Prince Sihanouk, her Southeast Asian host.
As a celebrity but not a politician, Kennedy wielded a unique form of soft power, notes Natalle. Her respected dignity as a widow and her neutral position as no longer the sitting first lady afforded her an unofficial credibility beyond government diplomacy.
Visiting Cambodia amidst an American-backed war in neighboring Vietnam may have appeared politically motivated; however, Kennedy maintained that her visit was primarily intended for touring historical sites like Angkor Wat.
Her trip was meticulously planned to circumvent public opposition to the Vietnam War in America and severed diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cambodia. To enter the country, Kennedy required an official invitation from the king, and logistical challenges were overcome by flying commercially to Bangkok before being escorted to Phnom Penh via a US Air Force C54 granted special landing permission.
A Francophone, Kennedy played a role in her husband’s political career by translating French books and speeches, including materials concerning Cambodia, which was part of French Indochina. Natalle reveals that Kennedy would grant interviews to French-speaking journalists during her travels while dismissing English-speaking ones.
Throughout her transitional period, Kennedy demonstrated an interest in history, art, and architecture, as evidenced by her visits to countries such as Greece and Spain during this time. “She was captivated by ancient civilizations,” says Natalle, referring to Angkor Wat likely being of particular interest to Kennedy.
Situated near the banks of the Ton Le Sap River and two miles from the Royal Palace, Hotel Le Royal has experienced numerous transformations over the years. It endured through one of modern Cambodia’s darkest eras under the control of the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge, during which at least 1.7 million Cambodians were killed between 1975 and 1979.
Following the Khmer Rouge period, Hotel Le Royal was renamed Solidarity Hotel and served as a hub for international journalists and aid workers flocking to the country. The Raffles group purchased the hotel in the 1990s, adopting its current name Raffles Hotel Le Royal.
Over the years, Raffles Le Royal has retained its significance in Phnom Penh, hosting luminaries such as Angelina Jolie, Charlie Chaplin, and Charles DeGaulle. In 2012, President Barack Obama visited Cambodia during a diplomatic tour across Southeast Asia, posing for photographs at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal but not occupying the Kennedy Suite.