Undisputedly America’s “royal family,” the Kennedys today are a sprawling network of aunt, uncles, in-laws, and cousins. The Kennedy family have long been changemakers, champions of Democratic causes, and paragons of public service. But the Kennedy clan has been devastated by tragedy and scandal, leading to the enduring belief in the “Kennedy curse,” which has claimed the reputation or lives of many of its members.
“Family is family,” John F. Kennedy Jr. once said. “You can pick the Kennedys apart, and I’m sure you will. But at the end of the day, we’re just people trying to understand each other as we share this incredible life we’ve all been blessed with. It’s nothing more than just that, if you really want to know the truth.”
Below, we explore the Kennedy family tree, from their biggest triumphs to their darkest tragedies.
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888–1969) and Rose Fitzgerald (1890–1995)
The patriarch and matriarch of the Kennedy dynasty, Joe and Rose Kennedy were married in Boston in 1914. The scions of prominent Irish Catholic families, they quickly had nine children of their own: Joseph Jr., John, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert, Jean, and Edward. A notorious philanderer (Gloria Swanson was a paramour), Joe was an ultra-ambitious, hard-hitting, at times ruthless businessman, investor, Hollywood producer, philanthropist, and Democratic politician. Rose was a taskmaster at home, emphasizing social responsibility, competition, excellence, and self-sufficiency. “What greater aspiration and challenge are there for a mother,” Rose once said, “than the hope of raising a great son or daughter?”
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (1915–1944)
The eldest of Joe and Rose Kennedy’s nine children, Joe Jr. was groomed by his father to be the first Catholic president of the United States. He graduated from Harvard in 1938, and then enlisted in the Navy, becoming a respected pilot. Joe “had everybody’s unlimited admiration and respect for his courage, zeal, and willingness to undertake the most dangerous mission,” one fellow soldier recalled. On August 12, 1944, he was killed during a secret bombing campaign known as “Operation Aphrodite.” When his younger brother John F. Kennedy heard of his golden-child brother’s death, he mused to a friend, “now the burden falls on me.”
John F. Kennedy (1917–1963)
The 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917, the second child of Joe and Rose Kennedy. Bookish, charming, eloquent, and handsome, John became a war hero in 1943 during World War II, when he almost died while saving his crew members as commander of the PT-109 that was sunk by the Japanese. He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1947 and the US Senate in 1953, where he served until 1960. In 1953, he married Jacqueline Bouvier, and the two worked closely together on his best-selling book Profiles in Courage. They had four children: Arabella, who was stillborn; Caroline; John Jr.; and Patrick, who died 39 hours after birth. In 1960, JFK defeated Richard Nixon and became the youngest person elected to the presidency in United States history at only 43 years of age. “Ask not what your country can do for you,” JFK famously said at his inauguration, “ask what you can do for your country.” The glamorous, progressive presidency of John F. Kennedy was cut catastrophically short when he was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.
Rosemary Kennedy (1918–2005)
Perhaps the most tragic figure in a family riddled with tragedies, Rosemary Kennedy was born in 1918, the third child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. Rosemary was known to be a vivacious, loving person, eager to please her formidable parents. She experienced developmental delays as a child, and as she grew older, she reportedly exhibited a violent, rebellious temper that led her parents to worry she would be being taken advantage of by predatory men or do something to embarrass the family. In 1941, her father, Joe, disastrously ordered that she receive a lobotomy. The lobotomy was botched, and an incapacitated Rosemary lived out her long life at the St. Coletta School for Exceptional Children in Jefferson, Wisconsin, thrilling in occasional visits from her famous family. Her heartbreaking story and senseless lobotomy would inspire her siblings to promote activities and programs for disabled Americans.
Kathleen Agnes Kennedy (1920–1948)
Known as “Kick,” Kathleen Kennedy was the fourth child of Rose and Joe Kennedy, and her father’s favorite. Vivacious, athletic, and witty, Kick was a celebrated debutant during her father’s ambassadorship in London, and eventually became a popular journalist. She bravely worked for the Red Cross in London during the height of the war, and in 1944 married William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartingtona—a Protestant—much to the chagrin of her parents. Four months later, Lord Hartington tragically died in combat. Kick soon followed, dying with her lover Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, in a tragic plane crash over France on May 13, 1948. Her heartbroken father identified Kick’s body. He was the only family member to attend her funeral in England.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921–2009)
The fifth child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy married future US ambassador to France, Sargent Shriver, in 1953. The Shrivers had five children: Maria, Anthony, Timothy, Mark, and Bobby. Deeply affected by her sister Rosemary’s plight, in 1968 Eunice founded the Special Olympics, for which she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. She was acutely aware of the price her famous family had paid for their power and fame. “I’ve come to believe that it’s not what has happened to our family that has been cursed,” she once said, “it’s the fact that we’ve never been able to deal with it privately.”
Patricia Kennedy Lawford (1924–2006)
The sixth child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, Patricia worked in the entertainment industry before marrying suave British actor Peter Lawford. The couple had four children: Christopher, Sydney, Victoria, and Robin. Patricia and Lawford provided a crucial link between her brothers and powerful Hollywood supporters, and tirelessly worked for their campaigns. After divorcing the womanizing Lawford in 1966, she became a patron of the arts and charitable causes in New York City. “Everyone who knew Pat adored her,” her brother Edward Kennedy said after her death in 2006. “She was admired for her great style, for her love and support of the arts, her wit and generosity—and for the singular sense of wonder and joy she brought into our lives.”
Robert F. Kennedy Sr. (1925–1968)
The seventh child of Rose and Joe Kennedy, Robert “Bobby” Kennedy received a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1951, a year after marrying Ethel Skakel. The couple had 11 children. RFK became the manager of his brother JFK’s successful Senate and presidential campaigns and served as attorney general during his brother’s term. During that time RFK and JFK allegedly both had extramarital entanglements with numerous women, including Marilyn Monroe. Anti-Vietnam and pro-civil-rights, Bobby Kennedy was a liberal hero, and in 1968 announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. He was assassinated while celebrating his victory in the California Democratic primary at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. “Only those who dare to fail greatly,” he once said, “can ever achieve greatly.”
Jean Kennedy Smith (1928–2020)
Noted as the shyest and most private of her eight siblings, Jean Kennedy was the eighth child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. “They knew how to cure our hurts, bind our wounds, listen to our woes, and help us enjoy life,” she writes. “We were lucky children indeed.” After graduating from Manhattanville College, Kennedy married executive Stephen E. Smith in 1956. The couple had four children: Stephen, William, Amanda, and Kym. She was an active progressive public servant, campaigning for her brothers, and serving on the board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Kennedy Center. In 1991, she stood beside her son William during his trial and acquittal of rape. She also served as ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998, and wrote The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy, published in 2016.
Ethel Kennedy (1928–2024)
The last survivor of Camelot, Ethel Skakel was born in Chicago, the daughter of wealthy businessman George Skakel and Ann Brannack. In 1950, she married Robert Kennedy, and the couple had 11 children: Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas, and Rory. Ethel suffered numerous tragedies. She was pregnant with Rory when she witnessed the assassination of her husband at the hands of Sirhan Sirhan in 1968. Her son David died of an overdose in 1984, and her son Michael died in a freak skiing accident in 1997. From her compound in Hyannis Port and legendary Virginia estate Hickory Hill, the extremely private Ethel continued to be a tireless advocate for progressive causes until her death at 96.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929–1994)
An icon of the 20th century, the legendary Jacqueline Bouvier was born in Southampton, New York, the pedigreed daughter of John Vernou “Black Jack” Bouvier III and Janet Norton Lee. Cultured, stylish, intelligent, and curious, Jackie graduated from George Washington University and became a photographer for the Washington Times-Herald. In 1953, she married John F. Kennedy, and the couple had two surviving children: Caroline and John Jr. As one of the youngest first ladies in history, Jackie dedicated herself to historic preservation, cultural programs, and restoration of the White House. On November 22, 1963, she was sitting next to JFK in an open car when he was assassinated. She worked tirelessly to preserve his legacy, referring to his presidency as “Camelot.” After the murder of RFK in 1968, she feared for her children, and married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, earning the nickname “Jackie O.” After Onassis’s death in 1975, Jackie moved to New York, where she became a successful book editor. Hounded by the paparazzi, Jackie remained an enigma. “I want to live my life,” she said, “not record it.”
Edward “Ted” Kennedy (1932–2009)
The youngest of Joe and Rose Kennedy’s nine children, Ted had the longest political career, serving for 47 years in the Senate, representing the state of Massachusetts. The standard bearer of the Kennedy family after his brothers’ assassinations, known as “the Lion of the Senate,” Ted was a tireless champion for liberal causes. But his presidential hopes were forever dashed in 1969, when Ted drove a car into a pond on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, leaving young staffer Mary Jo Kopechne to die in the water. Ted married Joan Bennet in 1958, and the couple had children Kara, Edward, and Patrick II. They divorced in 1982. Ten years later, he married Victoria Reggie. “I wish that tragedy never haunted a single soul,” he once said. “But I know that sometimes life breaks your heart.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (b. 1954)
Born in Washington, DC, in 1954, Robert Kennedy is the third child of RFK and Ethel Kennedy. He graduated from Harvard University in 1976, and went to law school at the University of Virginia. By his teen years, RFK Jr. was addicted to drugs. He married Emily Black in 1982 and had two children. The couple divorced in 1994, and that same year he married Mary Richardson. They had four children. Richardson died by suicide in 2012. He is currently married to actor Cheryl Hines. After getting sober, RFK Jr. became an environmental activist, before pivoting to pushing conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine beliefs. After an unsuccessful presidential run in 2024, he endorsed Donald Trump. RFK Jr. is now US secretary of Health and Human Services. Many Kennedy family members have come out in opposition to his controversial beliefs.
Maria Shriver (b. 1955)
“It’s in my DNA to strive for a life of purpose and meaning,” writes Maria Shriver, the only daughter of Eunice and Sargent Shriver. After graduating from Georgetown, she had a successful career as a TV journalist at CBS and NBC. She married movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1986, and they welcomed four children: Katherine (who is married to actor Chris Pratt), Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. A Democrat, she served as first lady of California from 2003 until 2011 during the Republican governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger. They split in 2011. Maria, who has since changed her registration from Democrat to independent, is now a philanthropist and best-selling author, and heavily involved in the Special Olympics, founded by her mother, Eunice.
Caroline Kennedy (b. 1957)
Caroline Kennedy is the last surviving child of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy. Only five years old when her father was assassinated, Caroline was raised by her mother in New York City. She graduated from Radcliffe College of Harvard University and Columbia Law School. A noted philanthropist, author, diplomat, and attorney, Caroline was the inspiration for Neil Diamond’s anthem, “Sweet Caroline.” In 1986, she married designer Edwin Schlossberg and they had three children: Rose, Tatiana, and Jack. She served as ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017, and ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024. In January, Caroline spoke out against her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ahead of his confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, urging the Senate to reject his nomination. “I always ask myself what they’d do,” Caroline once said of her mother, Jackie, and brother, John. “I wish they were here so I could tell them what’s happening, because I know it would make them laugh or they’d see it the way I do.”
John F. Kennedy Jr. (1960–1999)
John F. Kennedy Jr. was the only surviving son of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy. “John-John” became a worldwide icon at the age of three, when he saluted his father’s casket during the president’s funeral. The heir apparent to the Kennedy legacy, the charming, handsome JFK Jr. graduated from Brown University before becoming a lawyer. A tabloid mainstay, JFK Jr. was voted People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” (the magazine’s youngest ever) in 1988 and dated stars like Cindy Crawford, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Daryl Hannah. In 1995, John founded the political magazine, George. In 1996, he married Carolyn Bessette, a publicist for Calvin Klein. The couple tragically died (along with Carolyn’s older sister Lauren) on July 16, 1999, when a small plane piloted by John crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. “Sometimes the weight of expectations, of doing anything,” he once said, “can be a little bit heavy.”
Jack Schlossberg (b. 1993)
The only son and youngest child of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg. Noted for his striking resemblance to his famous uncle JFK Jr., Jack graduated from Yale with a BA in 2015, and from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School in 2022. An American writer and political correspondent and self-proclaimed “silly goose,” he has become a controversial and eccentric star on social media, posting his light-hearted and at times provocative thoughts on politics and social issues. “If you’re going to ask people to think about something serious, you need to make it entertaining or fun,” Schlossberg told Vogue in 2024. “That’s what all the great leaders do.… You’ve got to bring some positivity and good energy to the things you think are important. That’s the only strategy I have.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger (b. 1993)
The son of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick graduated from USC in 2016. He first became tabloid fodder in 2014, when he dated superstar Miley Cyrus. A rising actor in Hollywood, he has appeared in The Staircase, Gen V, and most notably, a star-making turn in the third season of HBO’s The White Lotus. In 2023, he became engaged to model Abby Champion. “I’m not worried so much about how successful my dad is or was, and same with my mom. I just really care about carving my own path, and wanting to feel successful to me,” he once said of his dynastic parentage. “I’m never gonna out-succeed my dad in his terms. But in my terms, I will.”
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
-
The Unsinkable Kathy Bates
-
Mariska Hargitay Was “Living a Lie” for 30 Years. Now She’s Embracing Her Mother—and Her Biological Father
-
All the Cast Members That Might Leave SNL This Fall
-
The Link Between Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and Gary Ridgway
-
Sherri Papini, Accused of Faking Her Own Kidnapping, Finally Tells Her Side of the Story
-
Ro Khanna Really Believes “Blue MAGA” Can Save the Dems—and Steve Bannon Loves It
-
The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time
-
What Scarlett Johansson Wants
-
From the Archive: How Trump Turned Palm Beach’s Exclusivity Against It—With a Barrage of Lawsuits
The post The Kennedy Family, In Tragedy and Triumph: A Brief Guide appeared first on Vanity Fair.
