When Queen Elizabeth Met Jackie Kennedy—The Story of Two Icons and Their Complicated Relationship
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Queen Elizabeth II was the British Monarch for an astounding 70 years. That means that her reign spanned a number of significant historical events. Considering her reign started in 1952, she saw a lot of eras come and go during that timeframe. As a result, the queen met a whole lot of interesting historical figures in her time.
One of the most interesting relationships in modern history is that between Queen Elizabeth and Jackie Kennedy. Our imaginations could be set aflame just thinking about what the circumstances were around the meeting of these two icons—not to mention the fictional accounts many of us have already seen. Lucky for us, we don’t need to imagine to find out the real circumstances behind this intriguing relationship!
Here is everything about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Jackie Kennedy.
What happened when Jackie Kennedy and Queen Elizabeth II met?
As depicted in Netflix’s The Crown, Queen Elizabeth II did actually host President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie Kennedy at Buckingham Palace in 1961. However, the two had actually crossed paths in a professional capacity years earlier when a young Jackie Kennedy was working for the Washington-Times Herald as the “Inquiring Camera Girl.”
The meeting between Queen Elizabeth and Jackie did indeed see its fair share of drama. According to Reader’s Digest, even before the meeting at Buckingham Palace, there was already an issue that arose over the guest list. “Traditionally, divorcées are not invited, so the queen has been reluctant to welcome Jackie’s sister Princess Lee Radziwill, who is on her second marriage, or her husband, Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, who is on his third. Under pressure, she relents, but, by way of retaliation, singularly fails to invite Princess Margaret or Princess Marina, both of whose names Jackie has put forward.”
There is however an account that indicates some friendly interactions between the queen and the then-First Lady during this meeting, wherein the queen inquired about Jackie’s trip to Canada and the two discussed the complexity of living life as a public figure. The queen is also said to have taken the First Lady on a tour of the palace to view some pieces of art.
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Were Jackie Kennedy and Queen Elizabeth friends?
Unfortunately, it does appear that there was some tension between Jackie Kennedy and Queen Elizabeth that came about as a result of that 1961 meeting. According to The Telegraph, Jackie had some unflattering things to say about the queen as well as Buckingham Palace. So, this would indicate that the two were not quite friends.
However, nine months after that infamous dinner, Jackie Kennedy did return to the palace by herself for another visit. At the end of this visit, the First Lady told the television cameras outside, “I don’t think I should say anything about it except how grateful I am and how charming she was.” This quote on the surface indicates that Jackie found the queen charming and was appreciative of her time and the visit. However, it also gives the impression that Jackie was holding back, which leaves us to wonder what more she had to say that she thought better of.
What was in Queen Elizabeth’s condolence letter to Jackie Kennedy?
Following the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963, Jackie Kennedy received hundreds of letters from all around the world. The letters were from people from all walks of life, from dignitaries to small children. The book Dear Mrs. Kennedy: The World Shares Its Grief, Letters November 1963 by Jay Mulvaney and Paul De Angelis is a compilation of these letters.
According to this book, Queen Elizabeth’s condolence letter to Jackie Kennedy read, “I am so deeply distressed to learn of the tragic death of President Kennedy. My husband joins me in sending our heartfelt and sincere sympathy to you and to your family.”
Related: 20 Surprising Facts About Queen Elizabeth II
Was Queen Elizabeth at JFK's funeral?
The queen did not attend JFK’s funeral for several reasons. It is very rare for the queen to attend a funeral. And, at the time of JFK’s funeral, the queen was several months pregnant with Prince Edward. However, her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh did attend the funeral to represent his wife and the British royals.
Related: A Queen For the Ages! How Old Was Queen Elizabeth When She Took the Throne?
How did Queen Elizabeth react to JFK's death?
Two years after JFK’s death, in 1965, at the site of the sealing of the Magna Carta, Runnymede in Berkshire, the queen opened a U.K. memorial in honor of the slain president. This kind of action is not common in the U.K. and reveals the queen’s respect towards President Kennedy and his family.
The dedication was attended by Jackie Kennedy as well as her two children John and Caroline. In a speech she gave at the event, Elizabeth said, “The unprecedented intensity of that wave of grief, mixed with something akin to despair, which swept over our people at the news of President Kennedy’s assassination, was a measure of the extent to which we recognized what he had already accomplished, and of the high hopes that rode with him in a future that was not to be.”
Related: Where Did Queen Elizabeth II Get Her Money, And What Was Her Net Worth?
Were Jackie Kennedy and Prince Philip friends?
It does not appear that Jackie Kennedy and Prince Philip were friends either. However, according to several biographies of Jackie Kennedy, she described Prince Philip to Gore Vidal as “nice, but nervous.” This does not indicate any sort of great relationship between the two.
But, it does appear that Prince Philip did have a sweet relationship with a young JFK Jr. A story from the book The Death of a President, details that when Prince Philip was in town for JFK’s funeral, Jackie Kennedy found the prince playing with her then almost 3-year-old son who had complained he had no one to play with, which led the prince to decide to entertain him. There is also a picture of a young JFK Jr. holding Prince Philip’s hand two years later at the dedication of the U.K. memorial for JFK.
Related: Find Out More About Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s Four Children
How true to life is The Crown episode Dear Mrs. Kennedy?
The episode of Netflix’s The Crown titled "Dear Mrs. Kennedy" is a mix of reality-inspired and fictional events. The drama and tension around that 1961 dinner at Buckingham Palace that was depicted was real, as discussed earlier. However, much of the dialogue used to indicate both was the result of liberties taken by the creative team. And the dinner that the President and First Lady attended was not a state dinner as was shown in the episode.
It does appear that Jackie had some unflattering things to say about the queen and the palace, though we cannot know for sure whether the First Lady was really under the influence of medication when she made these remarks as is depicted in the episode. We also cannot know for sure what happened between the closed door meeting between the queen and the First Lady that occurred less than a year later.
Lastly, the fact that the queen wrote a condolence letter to Jackie Kennedy as is shown at the end of the episode is also based on fact, with the details of the letter discussed above.
