The relationship between Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her sister, Lee Radziwill, was a complex tapestry of fierce loyalty and sharp sibling rivalry. During the mid-20th century, they were the world’s most watched sisters—icons of style who navigated the heights of political and social power while privately wrestling for their mother’s approval and their own identities.
The sisters were raised in the upper classes of New York society. Jacqueline was three and a half years older than Lee, and they affectionately called each other “Jacks” and “Pekes” as children. In the 1950s, the sisters were young socialites establishing their lives. While they were close, the seeds of competition were planted early by their mother, Janet Auchincloss, who often pitted them against one another.
Jackie married the rising political star John F. Kennedy in 1953. Lee, perhaps feeling the pressure to keep pace, married Michael Canfield the same year. In 1959, Lee married Prince Stanislaw Albrecht Radziwill, gaining a title. For a brief moment, Lee was a “Princess” while Jackie was merely a Senator’s wife, a dynamic that shifted dramatically with the 1960 election.
The 1960s defined their public image. As Jackie became First Lady, Lee became her unofficial lady-in-waiting and most trusted confidante. Lee accompanied Jackie on the famous 1962 trip to India and Pakistan. They were a formidable duo, though Lee often struggled with being “the sister of the First Lady.” Ironically, it was Lee who first became close with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. She was widely rumored to have romantic designs on him, but she ultimately stepped aside to let Jackie cruise on his yacht, the Christina, following the death of Jackie’s infant son, Patrick, in 1963.
After JFK’s assassination, Lee was a pillar for Jackie, frequently staying at her homes in Georgetown and New York to help her navigate the suffocating grief.
The 1970s saw the relationship fracture under the weight of “The Golden Greek” and shifting ambitions. In 1968, Jackie married Aristotle Onassis. For Lee, this was a profound sting; she had loved Onassis first, and Jackie’s marriage to him felt like a public erasure of Lee's own romantic history.
While Jackie lived as “Jackie O” in the early 1970s, Lee attempted to forge her own career in interior design and even tried her hand at acting (which was panned by critics). Lee’s lifestyle often outpaced her income, leading to a reliance on Onassis (and later Jackie) for financial support. This created an imbalance of power that fueled resentment.
Despite their periods of “cold war” silence, their bond remained unique. They shared a secret language and a childhood history that no one else could touch. Lee once famously said, “I’m nobody’s sister,” yet she spent her life defined by that very connection.
