In 1962, Truman Capote met Lee Radziwill for lunch at a fashionable New York restaurant. Their conversation dragged on for a long time. The writer occupied a truly unique position in Manhattan's secular circles. Sharp-tongued, funny, and incredibly charming, this native of provincial Alabama easily opened the doors to the most private living rooms. His eyes and ears eagerly recorded all the intrigues of the upper class. Until that day, Lee had never confided in Truman, and she probably had no idea what kind of game she was getting into.
Why did the daughters of John Bouvier III and Janet Norton Lee intrigue the famous novelist so much? Today's reader does not need to explain who Jacqueline was. After marrying Senator John F. Kennedy, who served as president of the United States from 1961 to 1963, she became an absolute icon of style. Jackie has transformed Americans' ideas not only about fashion and interiors, but also about culture in general.
The life of her younger sister, Caroline Lee Bouvier, was different. She married three times. In 1959, after 6 years of marriage to Michael Canfield, Lee became the wife of Polish Prince Stanisław Radziwiłł, who had long since left his homeland. For both of them, this union was the second, but the Catholic Church gave its blessing. As a princess, Lee led an exceptionally privileged lifestyle, owning two mansions in England and later a luxury apartment in Manhattan.
Alas, that day Lee completely forgot about Capote's reputation as a virtuoso gossip. She confided in him her deepest and most painful secret. She was desperately jealous of Jackie. And it wasn't just envy for one of the most famous women on the planet. It was all-consuming jealousy. The writer was amazed that a woman who seemed to have everything, money, beauty, impeccable taste, and a title, could suffer so much. The shadow of her older sister covered Lee with such force that in her own words, she simply ruined her life.
The fact that Mrs. Radziwiłł had opened up to the Hood so easily revealed the true depth of her emotional nightmare. Truman did not miss the opportunity and immediately wrote to his friend Cecil Beaton. I recently had lunch with a new friend, Princess Lee. My God, how jealous she is of Jackie. I did not even realize. As far as I understand, her marriage is bursting at the seams.
Indeed, by the time of this conversation, Lee preferred to escape to America as often as possible. And in 1962, she even went on a tour of India and Pakistan with Jacqueline. It was rumored that Prince Stas was rapidly aging and acquiring quirks that were of less and less interest to his young wife. In the absence of his wife, he sought solace in his own affairs and alcohol. Lee and Stanisław were separated by an impressive age difference of 19 years. Two children were born in the marriage. Anthony's son, who was born 4 and 1/2 months after the wedding, and daughter Anna Christina, Tina, who was born 3 months prematurely in 1960.
And although Stas actually lost the title after fleeing Poland, Lee, shining in the secular living rooms of New York and Washington, confidently secured the status of Princess Radziwill, as Capote flatteringly called her. When The New York Times published an article in November 1961 with the headline Princess Lee Radziwill adds charm to any setting, the youngest of the Bouvier sisters had serious reason to be proud. However, this triumph was overshadowed by a bitter realization. The press wrote about Lee only because her son-in-law was the president and her sister was the first lady.
The newly minted princess craved publicity, but the magic of the Kennedy family name always sounded louder. It was rumored that at a dinner party at Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Elizabeth in honor of the American couple, Prince Philip whispered to Lee, "You are in the same position as me. You always have to walk three steps behind."
Seeking escape from routine, Lee found solace in the arms of Aristotle Onassis. This shipping magnate, who possessed primitive energy, audacity, and a colossal fortune, beautifully courted the princess and persistently sought her attention. The fact that the Greek billionaire had a long-term and stormy affair with opera diva Maria Callas didn't bother Lee at all when she went on a cruise on his luxurious 325-ft yacht Christina.
There was no open hostility between the sisters. In August 1963, when Jackie was grieving the death of her newborn son Patrick, Lee sincerely wanted to support her and asked Aristotle to invite the first lady to the yacht. But as soon as Jacqueline stepped onto the deck, Lee realized that she had made a catastrophic mistake. The billionaire looked at the president's wife as if spellbound. The Princess Radziwill saw her worst nightmare come to life. Onassis didn't even try to hide his passion, and the parting gifts put everything in its place. Jacqueline received an exquisite necklace with diamonds and rubies, and Lee received three gaudy bracelets that she never wore.
And yet, when Jackie was suddenly widowed just a month later, Lee found the strength to forget about the resentment and become her sister's main support. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline and her children moved to New York to start life with a clean slate. Lee, also eager for change, persuaded Stanisław in 1964 to buy an apartment on 5th Avenue, just nine blocks south of his sister's apartment.
Lee was a master of her own wardrobe and interiors, but she had absolutely no idea how to turn her talents into a profession. In New York, she tried to write about fashion for the gloss, but journalism required concentration and discipline, which she lacked. She tried her hand at the theater scene, and in the 1970s, she briefly worked in design. "I deeply regret that I was not raised and taught to practice any craft," Lee candidly confessed to Interview magazine. "I'm interested in art, but because of the gaps in my education, my interests remained amateurish. And when I realized it, it was already too late."
When Robert Kennedy was assassinated in the summer of 1968, the president's widow fell into despair. She was afraid that America would turn into a country of total violence, and this fate awaits all the Kennedys. Desperate for protection, she thought of her sister's powerful suitor. Aristotle Onassis immediately assessed the situation and proposed to Jacqueline. That same fall, Lee, distraught with anger, called Truman and called her sister's act a betrayal beyond the imagination. Nevertheless, in public, Mrs. Radziwill did not flinch and declared her full support for Jackie's choice.
In the summer of 1971, Lee flew to Jacqueline on the island of Scorpios. It was there that Mrs. Onassis introduced her sister to Peter Beard, a Yale graduate, talented photographer, and conservationist. A whirlwind romance broke out. Peter began accompanying the Radziwills on safari in Africa and vacationing with them in the Caribbean. Prince Stas turned a blind eye to everything, not wanting to ruin the family. But Lee dreamed of a divorce and a new life with Peter. Alas, the fairy tale did not come true. Beard left her for a young model. It was the first time she was abandoned because before that she was always the first to leave. She was absolutely crushed.
Capote recalled this episode. By that time, Jacquelyn had become a widow for the second time and returned to the United States. Lee was hurt by the fact that her sister secretly got a job as an editor at Viking Press. While Lee was rushing around looking for herself, Jackie, having become incredibly rich and influential, seemed to mock her failures with the very fact of her success.
There was another deep wound. Lee's daughter, Tina, rarely found common ground with her mother, but she doted on Aunt Jackie. At some point, the girl just packed up and moved in with her. Repeating the sad experience of her husband, Lee increasingly sought solace at the bottom of the glass. She still went out in glittering outfits and looked elegant, but now she always had a cocktail in her hand at every party.
Historical background. In the famous photograph stated June 5th, 1975, Lee Radziwill and Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis are depicted together after Caroline Kennedy graduated from Concord Academy in Massachusetts. They always kept their mark in public.
In June 1976, Capote decided to give an unusual gift to a depressed friend. He published a column in Vogue called Lee, a fan letter from Truman Capote. The writer praised her first-class mind and wide-set golden-brown eyes that twinkle like a glass of brandy in the firelight. Later, People magazine published another devastating article for Jacqueline by Truman, which began with the bold words, "She's a wonderful girl. She has everything that people mistakenly attribute to Jackie. Appearance, style, taste, Jackie never had any. But for some reason, Lee has lived her whole life in the shadow of this superman."
No matter how desperately poor Lee tried to escape from her obsession, invisible threads forever tied her to her sister. Jacqueline just didn't seem to notice the struggle. The final chord sounded in May 1994. When 64-year-old Jackie died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, after the reading of her will, the upper class froze. She left her younger sister absolutely nothing. Not even a tiny keepsake. This icy silence became the most eloquent statement about what Jacqueline really thought about Lee.