Jacqueline Kennedy and her unusual fate (14 photos). Jacqueline Kennedy: The Life of the President's Wife Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

Queen of America. The epitome of style and femininity. The country loved her and considered her the pride of the nation. American women of the 60s generation looked up to her. Dozens of books have been written about her and many films have been made. We are talking about the impeccable Jackie, whose fate holds many unusual facts...

Jacqueline Kennedy was the editor of the glossy Vogue magazine

Before marriage, Jacqueline Bouvier was engaged in journalism. At 21, Jackie took over as junior editor of Vogue magazine. Jacqueline worked for half a year in the editorial office of American Vogue, and then moved to French.

Jacqueline Kennedy didn't like her Wedding Dress

Jackie's wedding dress was made by Ann Lowe. Jacqueline was unhappy with it and said that it looked like a lampshade. Thousands of American women subsequently disagreed with her - Kennedy's wedding dress became a role model around the world. The bride's vintage lace veil belonged to Jacqueline's grandmother, in which she once walked down the aisle.


By the way, John F. Kennedy believed that his bride looked beautiful and looked like a fairy. After that, the people called Jacqueline the Fairy of the White House.

Jacqueline Kennedy's mother was against a big wedding

Jacqueline recalled how, shortly before the ceremony, she overheard a conversation between her mother and her future father-in-law. Mother complained about such a huge number of guests (about 1500). "Miss Auchincloss, I'll be brief with you. You just give your daughter in marriage, and at this wedding I have to introduce the country to the future first lady of the United States, ”said Joseph Kennedy. Even then, Jackie knew her future...

Jacqueline Kennedy - Emmy Winner

When John F. Kennedy became President of the United States in 1960, Jackie had the opportunity to remodel the White House. In her opinion, such a place should have a historical atmosphere, so Jackie created the Fine Arts Committee, which financed her project, and began to buy antique furniture, dishes and other things significant to American history. In 1962, together with CBS, Jacqueline gave a tour of the White House for American television viewers. Subsequently, for this she received honorary award"Emmy" for the contribution to the preservation of the heritage of their country. Now the figurine is stored in the Kennedy Library, in Massachusetts.

Jacqueline Kennedy endured numerous infidelities of her husband

After the wedding, everything seemed perfect to Jackie: the husband whom she admired and loved, a cozy family nest, but her love story was gradually losing its own. fabulous view. John started affairs on the side, and the whole country suspected his connection with Marilyn Monroe. On the sidelines, there was even a legend that once Monroe called the White House and confessed to Mrs. Kennedy about her relationship with her husband. Jackie calmly replied: "That's fine ... I'm moving out, and you will solve all my problems."

Jacqueline Kennedy refused to take off her bloody costume after her husband was murdered

The assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas was a shock to the entire country. John died in Jacqueline's arms. Her pink Chanel suit was covered in the blood of the deceased, but even when the next president, Lyndon Johnson, was sworn in (a few hours after Kennedy's death), Jackie refused to change clothes.


“Let everyone see what they did,” she said. Since then, this pink suit has become a symbol of grief and a reminder of what happened on that fateful November day.

Jacqueline Kennedy is credited with an affair with Robert Kennedy

There is no documentary evidence of Jacqueline's connection with Robert Kennedy, but every year everything appears. more rumors about their secret romance. Was it really? Nobody will know. Based on the memoirs of Kennedy's contemporaries, it is assumed that Jackie is the only woman that Robert loved. It's no secret that they were very close spiritually, and after John's death, it was Bobby who supported and was next to Jacqueline, taking care of her safety.
Rumor has it that their romance lasted three years, but no one dared to declare it openly. Close family Kennedy claim that by the winter of 1964, Jackie and Bobby no longer hide their relationship in the circle of loved ones.

They drifted apart when Robert entered the presidential race. Jacqueline was very upset by the breakup, because she helped and worried about Bobby just like she used to for John. Soon, Jacqueline met the billionaire Aristotle Onassis, who was much older than her and became her second husband. Robert, like his older brother, died as a result of an assassination attempt.

The Kennedys are under a family curse.

American journalists have put forward an assumption about the "curse of Kennedy." The chain prompted them to this thought. tragic deaths members of an influential clan. Father John Joseph Kennedy Sr. and his wife Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy lost four of their nine children in young age. John and Jacqueline themselves had two small children died: the first-born girl was born dead, and the last baby lived for two days.
Their son John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash at age 39. Robert Kennedy's son David died of a cocaine overdose at 28.

Jacqueline Kennedy saved Grand Central Station in New York

In 1975, the decision was made to demolish the building. Central Station New York. Jacqueline, who honored American history, fought vehemently against these plans and wrote a letter to the city's mayor: "Isn't it cruel to let our city gradually die, erasing all the monuments of which it is proud, until there is nothing left of all its history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for their future? Americans cherish their past, but for the sake of short-term gain, they ignore it and tear down everything of value. Perhaps now is the time to take a stand, turn the tide back, because we don't want to end up in a faceless world of glass and metal boxes."
After Jacqueline managed to save not only the station, but also Lafayette Square in New York.

Jacqueline Kennedy built successful career book editor

Jackie has always been known for her love of writing and books. So, after the death of her second husband Aristotle Onassis in 1975, Jacqueline moved to New York and became a consulting editor at Viking Press. Before last days In her lifetime, she was a senior editor at Doubleday and was dedicated to her work.

She was called the most famous woman after Cleopatra. She was considered the trendsetter of fashion, beauty and grace in America. Charles de Gaulle, during his visit to the United States, stated: “The only thing I would bring home from America is Mrs. Kennedy. This is too much jewel even for the President of the United States!”...

On July 28, one of the most popular women of her time - Jacqueline Kennedy - would have turned 85 years old.

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929 in Southampton, USA. Her father was a French-American who made a living playing the stock market.

The girl's parents divorced when Jacqueline was 13 years old. The mother remarried the widower of the millionaire Auchincloss and moved with her daughters to live in his luxurious mansion. The Bouvier sisters lived rather modestly and were educated at the expense of their own father. A luxurious life the rich passed before their eyes, but by. Jacqueline made a decision for herself that she would certainly succeed.

After graduating from Miss Porter College, one of the most prestigious in America, Jacqueline got a job as a newspaper reporter. Her earnings were small, but the work made it possible for the girl to meet famous and wealthy people. At one of the events, she met Senator Kennedy, the son of multimillionaire Joseph Patrick Kennedy. For his sake, Jackie broke off her engagement to John Gasted, but it would be naive to expect a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates as a reward.

Most enviable groom America was in no hurry to tie the knot. However, for John's political career Family status could be the missing step to the presidency. Therefore, Kennedy Sr. dreamed of marrying his son to a woman who would give the image of a famous senator a color of trustworthiness and respectability.

The image that Jacqueline chose for herself was the best fit for the requested parameters for the senator's bride. Stylish, elegant, smart, discreet lady who will never give rise to gossip. Excellent manners and adherence to Catholicism. Joyful wide smile and simply hypnotizing charm. The girl charmed the future father-in-law.

The desired marriage proposal came to Jacqueline by telegraph. And on April 12, 1953, the marriage took place.
Marriage was not going to be easy. Jackie was an aristocrat, and Kennedy was a political adventurer and Irish bully. The husband devoted a lot of time to work, and leisure hours to his own pleasures. The hardest thing was to come to terms with his debauchery. It was said that Kennedy, along with Congressman George Smathers, rented a room in a luxurious hotel, where he spent time with corrupt girls.

But Jacqueline did not think about divorce. At first, she spied on her husband and made feeble attempts to arouse John's jealousy, but soon left them too, realizing the futility of her actions. Jealousy jealousy, but Kennedy did not think to change anything. Little by little, Jackie began to get used to such a life. Jacqueline not only did not reproach her husband for betrayal, but also learned to treat them philosophically. “Probably, there are no faithful husbands in the world,” she shared with her friend. “There are so many things mixed up in men - both good and bad.” Jacqueline focused all her strength on creating home comfort and maintaining her own image of an ideal woman at the proper level.

The senator's marriage to Jacqueline had a beneficial effect on Kennedy's political career. On January 3, 1960, John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for the presidency and launched an extensive campaign in which Jacqueline intended to play an active role, but John F. Kennedy soon learned that she was pregnant. Due to her previous difficult pregnancies, Jacqueline's family doctor strongly recommended that Jacqueline stay at home. Despite this, she participated in her husband's campaign, answering letters, recording commercials, giving interviews to newspapers and television, and writing her own newspaper column called Campaign Wife, but rarely appeared in public.

On January 20, 1961, John was elected President of America. The people adored the Kennedy couple, and simply idolized the now first lady of the country. Jacqueline became one of the youngest (31 years old) first ladies in history. Only Frances Cleveland and Julia Tyler were younger than her.

Like any first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy was in the spotlight. She gave interviews and posed for photographers, but kept a distance between journalists and herself and her family.

She perfectly organized receptions at the White House, restored its interior. In the first year of her stay in the White House, Jacqueline spent 40 thousand dollars on outfits (at that time it was not small money). She had the best stylists and fashion designers at her disposal, who were forbidden to show their sketches before Mrs. Kennedy had looked at them. Jacqueline chose for herself those colors that suited her, and always tried to stick to them. Her unfailing sense of style and elegance earned her popularity among both diplomats and ordinary Americans.

As First Lady, Jackie devoted much of her time to organizing social gatherings at the White House and other residences. She often invited artists, authors, scientists, poets and musicians along with politicians, diplomats and statesmen.

She began inviting guests to cocktails at the White House, creating a less formal atmosphere for the mansion. Thanks to her intelligence and charm, Jacqueline was popular among politicians and diplomats. When Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev were asked to shake hands for a photo together, Khrushchev said, "I'd like to shake her hand first," referring to Jacqueline.

Very close spouses emotionally death little son- Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, the third child who was born prematurely, and lived, despite all the efforts of the resuscitators at the Boston Hospital, for only two days: from August 7 to 9, 1963. The President was shocked. Discharging from the hospital, Jacqueline heartily thanked the sisters for taking care of her and told them to be ready when she came here again in a year to give birth to another child. She knew John never mind big family and always dreamed of having another son. The President smiled with restraint, carefully supporting his wife by the elbow and seating her in the car. Robin Douglas-Home, who knew the presidential couple well, later recalled: “The birth and death of a child brought Jacqueline Kennedy closer to her husband. They began to understand each other better, respect and appreciate. if I lose you too!” The words turned out to be strangely prophetic.

On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. The inconsolable widow mourned for her beloved husband for 5 years.

In June 1968, when her brother-in-law Robert Kennedy was assassinated, she experienced real fear for her children, saying: "If they kill the Kennedys, then my children are also targets ... I want to leave this country." And in 1968, Jacqueline married the millionaire Aristotle Onassis. Convinced that only he could give her the happiness and peace that she and her children needed.

Messages about the second marriage of Jacqueline Kennedy appeared on the pages of newspapers around the world. The headlines were filled with indignation. “She is no longer a saint,” shouted the Verdens Ganges. "Jackie, how could you?" the Stockholm Expressen asked. "John F. Kennedy died a second time," said the Istanbul Daily Morninger. This was followed by comments from people who knew the couple closely. Rose Kennedy: "My family can't surprise me anymore." Maria Callas: “Jackie did the right thing by providing her children with a grandfather. Aristotle is as rich as Croesus." Coco Chanel: "Everyone knew that this vulgar woman would not be faithful to her dead husband all her life." Only Cardinal Cushing from the bottom of his heart wished her all the best: “She has the right to marry anyone. Can you curse her for that?"
Newspapers continued to write about the wedding of two celebrities. Few women in all world history so riveted the eyes of the whole world to him, as Jackie did. For five years, people admired her and felt guilty about her husband's murder. The moment she married a man of a different faith and culture, the people who idolized her turned away from her. Becoming the wife of an international pirate who completed only six grades high school, she destroyed the myth about herself. The spell was broken.

But even having fallen from the pedestal, Jackie continued to arouse increased interest in herself. Her photos appeared on the covers of Time and Newsweek magazines, along with articles in which she was called the new first lady of the island of Scorpio, where she served 72 people, the new mistress of a villa in Klifada with ten servants, the owner of a luxurious apartment in Paris with five servants , haciendas in Montevideo with thirty-eight servants, and apartments on Fifth Avenue in New York with five servants.

She never received solitude, becoming after marriage interesting for paparazzi with new force. Many rated this marriage as a betrayal of the Kennedy clan. Tragedies did not leave her even then. Aristotle's only son, Alexander, died in a plane crash in January 1973. Onassis's health began to deteriorate and he died in Paris on March 15, 1975. The tabloids covered the event with the headlines "Jacqueline is a widow again!".

Now that her children are older, she decided to find a job. Since she had always loved literature and writing, in 1975 she accepted an offer as an editor for the Viking Press. But in 1978, Viking Press President Thomas H. Guinsberg purchased Jeffrey Archer's novel Shall We Tell the President?, which depicted the fictional future of President Edward M. Kennedy and the assassination plot against him. After falling out with the president of the company over the publication and sale of this book, Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis resigned from the publishing house. She then took a job at Doubleday as an associate editor with an old friend, John Sargent, who lives in New York.

From the mid-1970s until her death, her companion was Maurice Templesman, a Belgian-born industrialist and diamond trader. The man was already married and had three children. Maurice became Jacqueline's friend, lover, and financial advisor. Their relationship continued until her death.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died on May 19, 1994. She managed to become a grandmother twice, to enjoy the career of her son - a senator. Last years she spent her life in Paris, collecting an extensive collection of antiques, visiting museums, exhibitions and various charity events in support of cancer patients.

Jacqueline Kennedy went down in history not only as the wife of the 35th American president, but also as one of the most stylish and elegant women XX century. The first lady has become a real legend in the United States, and some facts of her biography indicate that she deserves no less attention than John F. Kennedy.

Prior to her marriage, Jacqueline Bouvier worked as a newspaper journalist. IN adulthood Jacqueline returned to this profession again: after the death of her two husbands, she worked as an editor at Viking Press and Doubleday.

Jacqueline Bouvier was well educated and erudite. IN early age she wrote essays and poems that were published in local newspapers. When asked what kind of people she would like to be acquainted with, Jacqueline replied: Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire and Sergei Diaghilev.

Jacqueline Kennedy twice had to lose children: in 1956 her daughter was born dead, in 1963 her son died two days after birth. Two children survived - Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr.

Jacqueline received an Emmy honorary award for rebuilding the White House. The first lady collected the best examples American art and furniture from all over the United States and housed them in the White House.

Jackie Kennedy meekly endured her husband's numerous novels, only one gave her real concern - Marilyn Monroe seriously hoped to take her place.

On the day of the assassination of the 35th President of the United States, Jackie was wearing a pink wool suit. He was spattered with blood, but the First Lady refused to change clothes "so they could see what they did to Jack".

Jacqueline was first lady for a little over 1,000 days, after the Kennedy assassination she wore mourning for five years. Then she married the Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis. Their marriage was a deal of sorts: the 62-year-old tycoon offered her marriage in order to take a place in the high society of America, where he had a business, and in exchange she received financial independence and long-awaited security.

Jacqueline Kennedy was rightfully considered a style icon. She was never involved in scandals and did not attract the attention of the public with candid photo shoots, unlike her star rival Marilyn Monroe. Only once did her racy photos get into a magazine - in 1972 she was sunbathing topless on her husband's private island and was caught off guard by the paparazzi.

Jackie Kennedy was an avid traveler. As First Lady she traveled to France, Austria, Greece, Italy, India and Pakistan. She had a great interest in other cultures, she could speak several foreign languages including French, Spanish and Italian. Jacqueline was respected by the mighty of the world this. Nikita Khrushchev gave her one of Strelka's puppies, a dog that had been in space.

For 40 years, she smoked three packs a day. She quit smoking after she was diagnosed with cancer in early 1994, but it was too late - in May 1994, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died at the age of 64. Less was said about her death than about the assassination of John F. Kennedy - naturally they cause a greater resonance.

Jackie Kennedy - nee Jacqueline Bouvier - went down in history not only as the first lady of America, but forever remained in the minds of Americans as an icon of style. Women all over the world wanted and tried to look and dress like her. See the best photos Jackie, who would have turned 85 on July 28 this year.

Jackie (short for Jacqueline) Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929 in an upscale suburb of New York. Her family was very rich, so she could study at the best private schools in the country - Holton-Arms School and Miss Porter's School, in which real ladies were “made” out of little girls. While still a student at New York's Vassar College, she went to France for a year to study French and literature at the Sorbonne. Young Jackie was fascinated by the elegance of French women, which formed the basis of her famous style.

In 1953 - a year after Jackie met Senator John F. Kennedy, the future US president - they got married. At the wedding, which at first was supposed to be a modest celebration, 700 guests were invited.

Her famous wedding dress, designed by Ann Lowe, was made using 50 meters of silk. This dress is still on display at the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum.

However, Jackie's dreams were far from reality. She dreamed of a cozy family nest with John, but was forced to fit into the large Kennedy clan. The husband's sisters did not like the too educated and well-mannered daughter-in-law. And John himself was not a model of fidelity. Everyone knew about his loving nature, including Jackie. It darkened them family life. But only once Jackie hinted at a divorce, then John somehow managed to convince her, subsequently this issue, despite his many intrigues, Jackie never raised.

Jackie Kennedy became faithful companion and companion of her husband. She supported him in all endeavors. And she always looked amazing. Whatever she wore, it immediately became fashionable.

Jackie had an innate sense of style. Even in the simplest things, she looked exquisite.

Jackie and John were beautiful perfect couple for hundreds of thousands of Americans. They held hands and smiled from the covers of magazines and newspapers. They won the hearts of Americans.

When John became president, Jackie's first step was to restore the interior of the White House, returning it to its historic atmosphere. She herself led tours of it for journalists, and ordinary Americans "stuck" to their TV screens to look at this delightful woman.

Elegance and unchanging sense of style made her popular not only among ordinary Americans, but also among diplomats, scientists, artists, musicians and poets. She organized informal meetings and invited guests to cocktails at the White House to give the place a less formal and friendly atmosphere.

For Jackie, it remained a mystery that he could not solve. She was an amazing woman. And John knew that he became what he became, only because Jackie was next to him.

Jackie and John had a lot in common. They liked the same plays and books. They knew how to make the interlocutor awkwardly shut up when they heard their unexpected questions or discourage them with a witty answer. They were invincible together, this was the key to their success.

Accompanying her husband on foreign trains, the first lady of America won hearts ordinary people. She was loved, admired. Her mind and education, erudition, command of languages ​​made an impression on the powers that be.

After a trip to France, the pages of Time magazine published the words spoken by US President John F. Kennedy: "I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris - and I enjoy it!"

For the CBS television tour of the White House, Jackie Kennedy received a special award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Award - an Emmy statuette, which is currently stored in the Kennedy Library in Boston.

And then her world collapsed. This happened on November 21, 1963 in the city of Dallas, where she and her husband went on a working trip in support of the 1964 election campaign. As they drove through the streets of Dallas in an open car, a shot rang out, and then two more. The latter hit President John F. Kennedy in the head. He did not die on the spot, but it was not possible to save him. She was by his side when he died. When his body was placed in the coffin, she placed her hand in his wedding ring with the words: "Now I have nothing." Later, this ring was returned to her, but no one was able to return her beloved John.

In a pink Chanel suit stained with her husband's blood, Jackie became a symbol of grief for the whole country. She bore her grief with great dignity. Her resilience and majesty during the funeral were admired throughout the world. She was crushed by the death of her husband, but she did her duty perfectly and played the role of the president's widow.

Everything she had planned so carefully collapsed overnight. But life does not stand still, it was necessary to move on. Friends and doctors helped her cope with severe depression. After the death of her husband, Jackie became very close to his brother, Robert Kennedy. He supported his brother's widow as best he could. There were rumors that they had a connection. In fact, there is no evidence for this and it is unlikely that we will ever know the truth. They drifted apart when Robert Kennedy entered the presidential race. Their close relationship could harm his image.

It was then that the Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis appeared in Jackie's life. After the death of Robert Kennedy, under unclear circumstances, Jackie feared for her children and decided to leave the country. And in October 1968, she married the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who was able to provide her and her children with the security they needed so much. After the conclusion of this marriage, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis lost all the privileges of the president's widow. The American public condemned her. The media were merciless to her and gave her the nickname Jackie O.

Fate did not spare her even then. First died in a plane crash The only son Aristotle Onassis - Alexander. After that, Onassis's health began to deteriorate and he died in 1975 in Paris. Jackie became a widow for the second time. Onassis's daughter, Christina, gave her a two-year lawsuit, eventually forcing Jackie to accept a $26 million release in return for renouncing the rest of the inheritance.

After the death of Onassis, Jackie returned to ordinary life. She began working as an editor at Viking Press. Since 1978, she moved to work at the Doubleday publishing company, which was led by her old friend John Serzhan. She found herself a new life partner - the industrialist Maurice Tempelsman, and although they were not in official relations, he was called Jackie's third husband. They were together until the last days of her life.

In January 1994, Jackie was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma. She quit smoking but continued to work at the publishing house, reducing her work schedule. However, in April the cancer metastasized. Jackie died in her sleep on Thursday, May 19, 1994, just two and a half months before her 65th birthday. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, where Americans bury their heroes, next to John and Robert Kennedy, the two most important men in her life.

During her lifetime, Jackie Kennedy became a fashion icon. Her versatile style has been popular for decades. And jackets a la Jackie Kennedy are timeless: they are still in fashion.

Finally published in the US exclusive interview wife of the 35th President John F. Kennedy, which she gave to a family friend - the famous historian, presidential aide Arthur Schlesinger. The eight-hour interview was made four months after the assassination of the president, but Jacqueline Kennedy ordered that it not be made public until 50 years after her death. She feared persecution against her family, and also did not want to be a violator of state secrets.

Jacqueline died in 1994, but her daughter Caroline didn't wait until 2044. She decided that the time had come to publish the interview now, in the year of the 50th anniversary of the election of John F. The White house. The American television channel ABC received the rights to publish. On September 13, the world learned what the wife of the murdered president had to say.

Jacqueline Kennedy left no memoirs after her death. The declassified audio recordings are one of her few testimonies about the famous husband, his deeds and the time of his presidency. For decades, the records were stored in a safe in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. Caroline, giving the order to publish the interview, explained her act as follows: “It is a great honor to see this collection along with millions of people who admire my parents,” writes NEWSru.com.

The world expected to learn something new about the assassins of the president, but Jacqueline says nothing about them, or about the assassination itself. She talks a lot and willingly about her husband, his attitude to the family. According to her, the president was very fond of children - both his own and others. The head of state allowed himself to interrupt classes at the school for White House employees: when he entered the school and clapped his hands, all the students rushed to play with him. He tried to spend more time with his son and daughter. The kids loved John too.

When, in the midst of the Caribbean, there were serious fears that Washington would be attacked by the USSR, Jacqueline refused to leave with the children to a safe place. “If something happens, we will all stay here with you. Even if there's no room for us in the White House bomb shelter, I'll stay on the lawn. I just want to be with you and I want to die with you and the kids too - than live without you,” she told her husband.

“He always told Carolyn and John that they could do whatever they wanted. He always seemed to me very sensitive, no matter how much I thought about him. And he always came to see me before going to the office. And if you didn’t come in, then we met somewhere along the way just to hug, ”the First Channel reports the words of Jacqueline.

The former First Lady of the United States calls her husband a kind and honest, a real gentleman. She does not mention his betrayals.

The interview contains harsh characterizations of many political figures of the time. Thus, Jacqueline calls the French President Charles de Gaulle "extremely narcissistic", and the future Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi - "a real bore, evil, assertive, terrible woman."

US Vice President Lyndon Johnson, according to Lady Kennedy, was too selfish and power-hungry, and the president did not trust him too much. Kennedy chose him as deputy only because Johnson was a southerner, whose presence was politically expedient next to a northerner president. But this did not mean at all that Kennedy predicted a continuation of his career for Johnson. “Oh my God, can you even imagine what would happen to the country if Lyndon was president?” - According to Jacqueline, her husband told her.

About Martin Luther King, Kennedy's widow impartially expressed that he came to the president's funeral drunk and mimicked Cardinal Richard Cushing, who was conducting the funeral service. “I can't imagine Martin Luther King without thinking that this man is terrible,” said Jacqueline Kennedy.

Regarding the assassination attempt on her husband, Jacqueline only reported that her husband had assumed such a development of events. He discussed the fate of one of his predecessors, Abraham Lincoln, with Princeton University historian David Donald, asking him if Lincoln would have gone down in history as the great president he is now known if he had not been assassinated shortly after victory in civil war. The historian replied that this was unlikely: Lincoln had to rebuild the war-torn South, and the reconstruction of the country was a very difficult task and therefore would inevitably damage the president's reputation.

Then Kennedy came to the conclusion that Lincoln was killed on time, at the peak of his fame, and after the Caribbean crisis, which was successfully resolved, he said: "Well, if I ever get shot, it would be better today."

The published interview is especially valuable because after the death of her husband, Jacqueline Kennedy became closed person. She never spoke publicly about her life in the White House. After JFK's death, Jacqueline gave only three interviews, including this one.

Transcripts of this audio recording have also been published as a book called Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life With John F. Kennedy.