The American Princess With A Stunning End

The American Princess With A Stunning End

In the 1970s, Lee Radziwill was due to walk down the aisle and marry hotelier Newton Cope. Then Lee’s sister, Jackie Kennedy, phoned up the groom and her one call changed everything. What exactly happened and what words were exchanged? Stick around to find out. Lee Radziwill, the younger sister of the iconic Jackie Kennedy, was, although much adored herself, was always living in her sister’s shadow. Throughout her life, she engaged in a perpetual rivalry with her sister, vying for supremacy in glamour, scandal, and ultimately in the tragic narrative that unfolded. Prepare to immerse into the not-so-fairy-tale life of Lee Radziwill, the American princess. Long before ascending to the status of a princess through marriage, Lee Radziwill basked in her role as a true American royalty. Her father, the formidable Blackjack Bouvier, navigated the cutthroat world of New York City stockbrokers, while her mother, Janet, epitomized the classic beauty of East Coast socialites. You can definitely say that she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Yet, despite the seemingly idyllic and fantasy-like aspect of Lee’s childhood in Park Avenue, the Bouvier family harbored a darker reality. The Bouviers spent their picture-perfect summers in the Hamptons and interactions with the crème de la crème of American society, but beyond this perfect family facade lies a dysfunction that runs deep. You see, Lee’s father indulged in a life marked by alcohol and womanizing, far from the caring and loving father and husband he presented to public. This went on for years within his rocky marriage, culminating in a bitter divorce in 1940, when Lee was only 7 years old. Something like this will surely take its toll on the children, but this was just a small part of why Lee was probably having familial issues her entire life. From a young age, Lee grappled with intricate family dynamics, as her older sister, the future Jackie Kennedy, held a favored position in their father’s eyes and was constantly being pitted against each other.

Not only due to their shared physical resemblance, but also because Lee could never measure up to Jackie’s broader societal appeal. Daddy Bouvier, a toxic figure, made sure the sisters were both aware of it and imposed relentless expectations on his daughters, urging them to excel in education, elegance, and elocution. This demanding and competitive environment set the stage for the sisters’ next-level sibling rivalry, which would sadly be evident their entire lives. In August 1947, during Jackie’s debutante ball, Lee seized the opportunity to overshadow her sister. Contrary to the expected cream-colored elegance of the ball’s theme, Lee made sure she stole the spotlight when she donned a loud pink strapless dress adorned with rhinestones, stealing the spotlight from Jackie as expected. As Vanity Fair observed, Lee had an affinity for color and the obvious desire for attention, causing people to take notice. At the age Lee embarked on a grand tour of Europe with Jackie, and it didn’t take long for the spirited heiress to find herself in a compromising situation. At a gala party attended by diplomats and VIPs, Lee experienced a humiliating wardrobe malfunction. Her underwear fell down in front of an ambassador, and whispers were this might be intentional. You know what they say, negative attention is still attention. Unfazed, Lee continued to attract attention with her romantic involvement with Michael Temple Canfield, a dapper heir to a modest publishing house fortune and rumored illegitimate son of the Duke of Kent and his mistress Kiki Preston. It was almost a foreshadowing what is to come with all of her future relationships.

On April 18, 1953, a 20-year-old Lee exchanged vows with Michael Canfield at her stepfather’s Merrywood estate. While the wedding exuded the Bouviers’ renowned taste, it was marred by unsettling revelations from Lee’s family, expressing doubts about the marriage’s longevity. As her stepfather put it while talking about Michael Canfield, he’ll never be able to afford her. Lee, driven by a desire for independence, admitted marrying hastily and later confessed that she had gotten hitched mostly because I couldn’t wait to be on my own. That is not a good sign. So, amid their impending marital issues that everyone could see from a mile away, Lee had something else to worry about. The next blow to their sibling rivalry came from Jackie, who married John F. Kennedy less than a year later. This supposedly further intensifying the jealousy from Lee, as Kennedy surpassed her husband in looks, grace, and more importantly, wealth. On top of this all, settling in London with Canfield, Lee grappled with the cruel tragedy of their fertility struggles and Canfield’s escalating dedication to alcohol. Despite his imperfections, Michael remained deeply in love with Lee and was determined to salvage their relationship. In a moment of desperation, he implored Jackie Kennedy, who was visiting, to reveal what could win back his wife. Jackie promptly responded, “Acquire more wealth, Michael.” When Canfield argued that he already earned a good income, Jackie retorted, “No, Michael, I mean real money.” Without a substantial trust fund, Michael Canfield’s bloodline fell short of meeting Lee’s expectations, prompting her to move on to someone more financially endowed. Amid the disintegration of her marriage to Canfield, Lee dealt a ruthless blow to her husband. In the late 1950s, she initiated an affair with a sophisticated and worldly Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł, a Polish aristocrat known for his love of glamorous parties, almost as much as Lee did. However, this only spelled further troubles for the socialite. If Lee was still entangled in matrimony during her aristocratic dalliances, the same held doubly true for Prince Stanisław. Not only had the prince’s previous marriage to a Swiss heiress ended, but he was presently married to another heiress, Grace Collen, when he crossed paths with Lee for the first time.

Nevertheless, all prior commitments were about to be discarded. Ultimately, the escalating drama with his jet-setting social circle led to Lee ending her marriage with Canfield, and Prince Stanisław also parting ways with his spouse. In 1959, Lee legitimized her relationship with the nobleman by marrying Prince Stanisław, officially attaining the title of Princess Lee Radziwill. However, the reality hardly mirrored her picture-perfect aspirations. Initially, the new princess commenced her marriage in regal fashion. Lee and Stanisław settled in Four Buckingham Palace, an elegant mansion conveniently located near Buckingham Palace and the Queen herself. Additionally, Lee fulfilled her desire for a child, welcoming a son named Anthony. But as you may have guessed by now, this still won’t be enough for Lee, and their ill-starred relationship will also not end well. In 1961, Lee received life-altering news. John F. Kennedy had secured the presidency, and her sister Jackie, at just 31 years old, became the First Lady of the United States. Jackie’s move into the White House eclipsed all of Lee’s modest English estates. It seems that whatever Lee does, Jackie can just do better naturally and with grace. John F. Kennedy’s inauguration marked a significant moment in American history, but it lacked one important attendee, Lee Radziwill, his sister-in-law. Yes, Lee chose to remain in London while the celebrations unfolded, officially citing the need to care for her premature born daughter, Tina. Unofficially, many believed jealousy played a substantial role, and honestly, it was no surprise at all. Although Lee’s family had always considered her the attention-seeking and adventurous sister, more stylish than Jackie, something she took great pride in, the tables have now turned. Jackie emerged as an American fashion icon as a first lady, ironically with Lee contributing to this image. Lee took it upon herself to dress Jackie, often sneaking French Givenchy dresses into the White House, despite President Kennedy’s insistence on American designers. During the highly successful Paris trip in 1961, Lee curated Jackie’s Givenchy wardrobe. It makes you wonder if she ever regretted that. Because by 1962, after numerous successful international tours, Jackie had outshone Lee in style and celebrity power. Photographer Cecil Beaton quipped that Jackie is still the most photogenic person in the world, infinitely more so than her infinitely more beautiful sister, Lee Radziwill. It was a backhanded compliment, emphasizing the sisters’ escalating rivalry once more. People just seem to compare them endlessly, intentionally or not. It appeared that the sisters’ rivalry had reached its peak, but as life would have it, it would still worsen. As Lee remained in her sister’s shadow, her personal life unraveled. Her marriage to Stanislas faced turmoil, with the prince engaging in affairs and driving Lee into the arms of other men.

The scandal was already intense, and then Lee made a disastrous choice in a lover. While Jackie resided in the White House, Lee formed a connection with the obscenely wealthy shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis. Yes, you heard it correctly. Before Jackie’s notorious marriage to the Greek tycoon, Lee had found him first. Unfortunately, that would not bode well with the sisters and would be the final straw in their relationship later on in life. When Princess Radziwill embarked on yachting adventures with Onassis, the businessman was already entangled in a slew of controversies. His notorious affair with the married opera diva, Maria Callas, had set Europe abuzz. And this liaison continued as he and Lee kindled their flame. Callas had strong opinions about his affair, despite her own indiscretions. Maria Callas was not known for her kindness, and she expressed intense disdain for Lee Radziwill. A friend recalled her sharing, “I never disliked Jackie, but I hate Lee. I hate her.” So, at least in this aspect, Lee seemed to have an active edge over Jackie, that’s for sure. In 1963, Lee made an effort to provide solace for her sister, only to face a major setback. That year, Jackie suffered the loss of her newborn son shortly after birth. In an attempt to aid her recovery, Lee arranged for Onassis to invite the grieving first lady to his expansive yacht for some family relaxation. This gesture would eventually backfire years down the road, but who could have known? While the visit appeared innocent, Onassis, upon their departure, bestowed an insulting gift upon Lee. While Jackie received a substantial diamond and ruby necklace, Lee was gifted a set of insignificant bracelets, a disparity that did not escape Lee’s notice, leading her to dismiss them as dinky little things, and once again, overshadowed by her sister. On November 22, 1963, the unimaginable occurred. Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated John F. Kennedy, plunging Lee and her family into turmoil. Lee hurried to be by her sister’s side, leaving a note on Jackie’s White House pillow expressing condolences. Yet, far from overcoming her sibling insecurities, Lee’s actions during this challenging time indicated otherwise. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Lee made a troubling admission. During a conversation with her friend Cecil Beaton, she confessed that assisting Jackie during this critical moment was hell. Jackie had even slapped her in a fit of rage and grief. Yet, Lee’s understanding about the situation was far from compassionate. As was their typical dynamic, the Bouvier sisters descended into toxicity even amidst the chaos. In a remarkably unsympathetic move, Lee complained that Jackie can’t stop thinking about herself and never feeling anything but sorry for herself. The tone of her response was why people in their circle allegedly felt that Lee secretly reveled in her sister’s misfortune. And this might not be that far-fetched as years later Lee shockingly viewed Kennedy’s demise as a positive development for herself at least. According to her, Kennedy’s violent death liberated her from the societal expectations enforced by both the White House and the Kennedy family. She remarked, “There were so many things I couldn’t do when my brother-in-law was president. Finally, I’m free.”

Following the tragedy, Lee and Prince Stanislas established themselves in a prominent Fifth Avenue residence, embracing a lifestyle that most New Yorkers could only dream of. In this elevated atmosphere, Lee crossed paths with sophisticated writer Truman Capote and joined his notorious circle of swans comprising exceptionally elegant women. Unfortunately, this association had negative consequences. Truman Capote became infatuated with Lee, declaring, “I can think of any woman more feminine than Lee Radziwill, not even Audrey Hepburn.” According to Lee, the author harbored deep feelings for her and even attempted to transform the East Coast socialite into a stage star, an endeavor that ended in disaster. Capote swiftly convinced Lee to take on a starring role in an upcoming stage production of The Philadelphia Story. However, there was a significant obstacle. Prince Stanislas vehemently disapproved, considering his wife’s pursuit of stardom tasteless and tawdry. Perhaps she should have heeded his advice. Lee’s debut in The Philadelphia Story was marred by numerous mishaps. Firstly, her sister Jackie failed to attend, potentially out of jealousy as well, and Lee, consumed by nerves, struggled to handle a prop piece of paper. Predictably, the critics’ reviews were scathing and as it turns out, this might all have been an elaborately planned sabotage. Lee’s friends suspected that Truman Capote’s attention towards her was not entirely benevolent. Fashion designer Ralph Rucci asserted that Capote secretly desired Lee’s acting aspirations to crumble, stating, “I think he was in love with her, totally in love with her. And because he couldn’t psychologically handle that, he had to hurt her, which is so twisted and unfortunate.” Before Capote could fully execute his plan, Lee encountered a harsh awakening. In 1944, after starring in a poorly received remake of Otto Preminger’s classic noir Laura, Lee faced the ultimate consequence. No longer willing to witness his wife make a fool of herself, Prince Stanislas threatened to keep her children from her if she persisted in her silly Hollywood aspirations. This marked the end of Lee’s acting pursuits. But true to the nature of Lee Radziwill’s life, yet another twist awaited. It was 1968 when Jackie, Lee’s sister, orchestrated a shocking betrayal that would rock any family bond. There is an unspoken rule that anyone family dated is off-limits. During that autumn, she left Lee with Lee’s former bullish lover, Aristotle Onassis. To compound the hurt, Jackie never informed Lee of their engagement nor their reconnection. Instead, Lee learned about it directly from Onassis. Publicly, Lee maintained a facade of high society decorum, issuing a statement expressing her joy for the union. However, in private, everyone who knew them knew that her true feelings couldn’t have been further from the truth. Behind closed doors, Jackie’s decision wrecked havoc on Lee.

Distraught, she reportedly called up her friend Truman Capote, pouring out her heart over the phone, questioning, “How could she do this to me?” This event marked the final blow to their relationship, and the sisters never managed to regain any true semblance of their closeness. If anything, their dysfunctionality only deepened. Still reeling from Jackie’s treachery, Lee threw herself into a new affair, this time with her husband’s associate, Peter Beard. As a hybrid of photographer and adventurer, Beard introduced Lee to an entirely different social circle. Soon, she found herself socializing in Andy Warhol’s Factory and entertaining Mick Jagger at her Montauk residence. However, this high-paced life came with significant risks. In 1974, Lee’s fairytale came to a devastating end. Her involvement with Peter Beard was the final straw and was ultimately the reason why her marriage ended with Prince Stanisław, leading the royal couple to file for divorce. While Lee appeared composed about the split, Stanisław was utterly heartbroken at the loss of his wife. And it seemed like he never got over it, even with his own infidelities. In 1976, just 2 years after parting ways with Lee, Prince Stanisław suffered a fatal heart attack while attending a weekend gathering in England. At the time, he was only 62 years old and Lee herself was barely in her 40s. The loss was profound for Lee and it preceded the shocking revelations within Stanisław’s estate. Following Prince Stanisław’s demise, the executors of his will unveiled bitter truth. Teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, he had nothing left from his once substantial inheritance. This also meant that Lee’s children with Stanisław received virtually nothing from their deeply departed father, a harsh blow to their lifestyle and reality. By her mid-40s, Lee had mostly overcome her disappointments and romantic upheavals. Ready to embrace a fresh start, she entered into a new engagement with West Coast hotelier Newton Cope. Finally, things looked optimistic and rosy in Lee’s future, almost a sign that an unraveling was imminent. Despite Cope and Lee enjoying a loving and stable partnership, a persistent issue arose. Lee’s older sister, Jackie. Living in close proximity, despite their emotional distance, the sisters’ dynamic became strained. After a dinner party at Jackie’s, Cope confronted Lee, questioning, “Why the heck are you so afraid of your sister?” As it turned out, Lee’s apprehension might have been justified. She knew her sister well after all. Just as Lee was happily planning her wedding to Cope, the entire endeavor collapsed. Almost in the eve of their wedding, Cope abruptly called off the engagement, terminating what could have been the society marriage of the year. After enduring so much, what could prompt a man to abruptly retreat? Cope’s rumored reason was nothing short of astonishing.

According to Cope himself, Jackie Kennedy Onassis played a direct role in dismantling his engagement. As the wedding preparations intensified, Jackie’s lawyer contacted the groom-to-be, urging him to sign an extensive prenuptial agreement before marrying Lee. This proposition disgusted and insulted Cope, as did Jackie’s perceived manipulation, leading him to sever ties with Lee just like that. Maybe it was all for the best. Although Lee eventually remarried, tying the knot with Footloose director Herbert Ross in 1988, the later years of her life were perhaps even more tragic than her earlier ones. In 1994, she received gut-wrenching news. Jackie had lymphatic cancer and was dead within months. Despite their issues, Lee deeply mourned Jackie’s passing, reportedly sobbing uncontrollably at her sister’s bedside. Yet, akin to her late husband, Prince Stanisław, Lee remained unprepared for the distressing revelations within Jackie’s will. Upon Jackie’s passing, she left behind substantial wealth, ensuring the well-being of her children and friends with various gifts and mementos. However, one notable absence stood out among the beneficiaries. Lee herself received nothing. Jackie explained that she chose not to assist Lee further, as she had already done so during their lifetime. That’s right. Jackie didn’t bequeath a single trinket to her sister. Of course, perhaps she had a valid reason for this exclusion. According to one of Jackie’s biographers, the former first lady harbored a clear and justified vendetta against her younger sister. That’s because, shockingly, Lee may have had an affair with John F. Kennedy right behind Jackie’s back. In that case, the entire marry Aristotle Onassis and cut her completely out of my will suddenly makes sense and justified. Eventually, even the lives of American royalty calm down. Besides her divorce from Herbert Ross in 2001, Lee Radziwill lived out the rest of her years in relative tranquility and under the radar. When she passed away in 2019 at the vulnerable age of 85, she did so like a true East Coast socialite, spending her final moments in her Upper East Side apartment in New York. Lee Radziwill’s life, filled with failed relationships, betrayals, and the perpetual quest for her own identity, trying to escape the shadows for iconic sister Jackie Kennedy, remains a dark fairy tale of glamour and heartache. Through the complex sisterly dynamics and losses, Lee still navigated the hand she was dealt with with grace and elegance and in the end established herself and will forever be remembered as her serene highness, Princess Caroline Lee Radziwill. If you enjoyed intricate stories about the lives of royalty, celebrities, and other public figures, like and subscribe for more.