Lee Radziwill, Princess & Sister Of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Dead At 85; Tributes Pour In

Lee Radziwill, a former princess and the younger sister of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, died at her home in Manhattan, New York, on Friday at age 85.

Her daughter Anna Christina Radziwill cited natural causes.

Lee Radziwill was married to Polish immigrant Prince Stanislas Radziwill and was a global socialite and fashion icon. Similarly to her sister Jackie, she was extremely fond of the arts, although she never truly achieved as much recognition and stardom as the former first lady.

Radziwill was reportedly a source of support for many members of the Kennedy family and friend circle following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. She also helped her sister resettle from Washington, D.C. to New York after the tragedy. In fact, the sisters lived just blocks away from each other on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.

After Jackie Kennedy remarried to Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, a known womanizer, several tabloids began speculating that Radziwill had an affair with her new brother-in-law. Radziwill denied these rumors and insisted she and her sister remained close, despite additional speculation that Kennedy and Radziwill developed a strained relationship after the former’s second marriage.

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Radziwill became friends with many celebrities during the 1960s, including writer Truman Capote, costume designer Cecil Beaton, and decorator and architect Renzo Mongiardino, among others.

Radziwill also had a brief stint as an actress. She appeared in a four-week run of Philip Barry’s comedic play The Philadelphia Story, a stage revival of a Broadway production and film starring Katharine Hepburn. Radziwill received mixed reviews for her performance, which reportedly came after Capote suggested she take on the role of Tracy Lord.

Among those who paid tribute to Radziwill was her daughter-in-law, Carole Radziwill. The 55-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alum shared a throwback photo of Lee on Instagram and simply wrote: “She was loved. Rest in peace, Lee. Thank you for the kind words & comments.”