A secret marriage contract allowed Jacqueline Kennedy not to sleep with her second husband, Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis. The story of Jackie Kennedy - the president's wife and style icon

One of the most famous women world Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born into a family of aristocrats. Her parents (especially her father) doted on her. Her father, Jack Bouvier, was an American of French descent (that's where Jackie gets her inimitably elegant style from!).

Jack played on the stock exchange, providing his family with a completely decent existence, and even outwardly he was an unusually colorful person. His skin was dark, the tan almost never left his face, and compared to the pale-skinned Americans he looked very exotic. Needless to say, he broke women’s hearts at first sight?

His friends called him Sheikh, but, perhaps, no sheikh could boast of such a “harem” of beauties, as if replacing one another in a kaleidoscope. Jack Bouvier's other passion was gambling, and he soon very famously disposed of the fortune acquired by his grandfather and father.

This was the last straw for Jackie's mother, Janet. She divorces her husband, taking with her the girls, Jackie and her younger sister Lee. Jack is allowed to take his daughters for weekends and pamper them like princesses of royal blood.

Soon the sophisticated Janet attracted the attention of the wealthy widower Hugh Auchincloss (his family consisted of family ties with the richest names in America - the Rockefellers, Tiffanys and Vanderbilts).

Janet perceived her wedding with Hugh and moving to a rich estate (where Auchincloss’s two children from his first marriage lived) as a reward for her patience and her suffering in her previous marriage. The stepfather did not offend his stepdaughters, but he did not spoil them either; he treated them with restraint, believing that it was enough that they were dressed, shod and fed.

Jackie studied in private schools, and then entered an elite women's college, the tuition fees for which were fully covered by her own father.

She enjoys studying literature, especially French, art history, studying languages ​​and mastering her first experience social life- she has many fans from the aristocratic universities of Yale and Princeton.

An excellent education, a lively mind and literary abilities allowed her to get a job as a correspondent immediately after graduating from college. She received $56 a week, her father sent her $50 monthly, and her mother gave her something from time to time. She had a small used car, a few cheap dresses, and she didn't look at all like the stepdaughter of an American millionaire. From this time she always had a fear of poverty. She is smart, beautiful, she has aristocratic manners, but she doesn’t even have money for new stockings...

John Kennedy and Jacqueline - how to marry a millionaire

Enterprising. Jacqueline decided to ensure a comfortable existence for herself in the most popular way among girls - to marry a millionaire. Why not? After all, as a journalist she could make acquaintances with the most famous and rich people.

Sophisticated, with a sophisticated charm, witty and charming, Jackie literally bewitched the young New York broker Jon Husted - they even got engaged. But this union was not destined to take place, since in 1952, at one of the official receptions, journalist Jackie met Senator John Kennedy.

He was 8 years older than her, his father was a multimillionaire and owned factories, banks and film studios, his mother was the daughter of the mayor of Boston, at the age of 29 he became a congressman, at 34 a senator. In short, John Kennedy was the most tempting bachelor in the United States.

Jacqueline broke off her engagement to Husted (while seeing him off to the airport; she simply put her wedding ring in his coat pocket) and began to charm John with all her might. Evil tongues said that it was not at all difficult to charm him - John was known as a desperate red tape and did not miss a single pretty face (he even had affairs in his office or during breaks between meetings). One of his friends noticed that his girlfriends were so-so, but John took them not by quality, but by quantity.

One of the newspapers once awarded Jacqueline the title of “Virgin Princess,” but it is unlikely that this title was justified. John was carried away, too carried away, and somehow they were even caught red-handed. John and Jacqueline were kissing passionately in a parked car, and the senator had already managed to remove his girlfriend’s bra when they were illuminated by the flashlight of a policeman who had silently crept up. By that time, John’s face had never left the pages of the newspapers, and the policeman, recognizing him, limited himself to a warning and, saluting, left...

And Jackie waged a real siege according to all the rules of the art of love, moreover, she had a strong and decisive character, and she knew how to achieve her goals.

They had different tastes: John liked baseball and westerns, and she liked opera and ballet; she loves cats, and John is allergic to them... But does that really matter? After all, you can put your preferences aside for a while - and Jacqueline goes with John to a baseball game, accompanies him on a fishing trip, goes to the cinema to see another action movie - in short, accustoms him to his constant presence.

More and more often she is invited to the Kennedy family villa in Palm Beach. The first meeting with her husband’s relatives made a shocking impression on her:

“I don’t know,” she wrote to a friend in horror, “if I can get along with these gorillas.”

She, an aristocrat by birth, was horrified by the “common” manners of the Kennedy clan. But she tries her best to make friends with them: she writes scientific works For younger brother Jonah, listens for hours to the “multi-part” stories of the head of the clan about his amorous adventures with Hollywood stars, trying to find common language with John's sisters... The latter, by the way, turned out to be the most difficult: they constantly made comments at her, saying that her voice was too squeaky and her legs were rough (Jacqueline had shoe size 40).

Here's to Jack Bouvier future son-in-law I liked it right away. K. Kelly’s book “Jacqueline” tells the following about their interaction: “Although the Black Sheik was a conservative and a Republican, and Kennedy was a Democrat, both men got along well and had much in common, starting with their frivolous attitude towards the women they often changed.

They never became faithful husbands. Both of them had a sharp mind and did not tolerate stupidity. Having great experience treatment of women, they were known as secular people. They (...) knew how to live well!”

Jackie herself later remarked:

They were very similar to each other.

John decides to run for president in the near future. In this case, his bachelor status already becomes an obstacle to his goal. The president must be a model for the nation, which means he must be married. And Jacqueline is a Catholic, like himself, on her stepfather’s side she is related to the richest families in the country, and his father liked her too...

There is a legend that John, who was away on another political tour, sent a marriage proposal to Jacqueline by telegraph...

1,500 people were invited to the wedding - the father-in-law introduced the right people to the future “first lady” of America. The charming Jacqueline only added to the popularity of the young senator; their wedding was covered by all US newspapers.

Completely different and very much in love

The newlyweds went to Acapulco for their honeymoon. Upon returning, John plunged headlong into the political struggle, and Jacqueline Kennedy began to arrange her first home in Georgetown.

It was not easy for her - almost every day John returned home surrounded by politicians, continuing to discuss the progress of the campaign, and at first she was at a loss on how to treat them and receive them as cordially as possible. But then she got used to the fact that there should always be snacks and beer in the refrigerator, and a constant supply of sweets, cigarettes and coffee in the closet - everything for a quick snack.

On the days when they were alone, Jacqueline did not bother her husband too much - she simply prepared her favorite cocktail and gossiped about mutual friends. After all, as soon as she started talking about art or poetry, John began to openly yawn, smiled and went to bed.

Nevertheless, John always loved his wife and said that for him Jackie - precisely because of their dissimilarity - always remains a mystery, and that is why he is so drawn to her.

John said that he would not agree to less than five children. Jackie also dreamed of a child, but her first pregnancy was very early ended in a miscarriage - she didn’t even know she was pregnant.

A year later she became pregnant again. They were waiting for a girl. There was a Democratic Party convention in Chicago, at which John was to be nominated as a representative to Congress. He lost and decided to take a break for himself by going to the seaside in France, and Jackie wanted only one thing - to be home. As a result, John left alone, and Jackie went to her mother, because she was afraid to be left alone.

Only a few days passed after her arrival, and suddenly she started bleeding, contractions, she was taken to the hospital, where they urgently performed a caesarean section - the eight-month-old girl died. At that time, John was relaxing with friends on a yacht, and they only reached him two days later.

He immediately arrived and tenderly looked after Jackie - until the next election phase began.

Jackie could not forgive him for the loss of his child, and relations between the spouses became quite tense. Both thought that things were heading towards divorce, but a year later the courageous Jacqueline tried again - and gave birth to a healthy girl weighing 3 kg 200 g, who was named Caroline.

Jacqueline Kennedy First Lady of America

Three years later, when she was pregnant with her second child, her husband John, having invested 15 million in the election campaign, became the 35th and youngest president of the United States.

And Jacqueline one day became the most popular lady in America.

She safely gave birth to a son, John (both daughter and son were born as a result caesarean section) and completely immersed herself in caring for the child.

John was a wise politician, he put forward popular social reforms, and during his reign relations with Soviet Union. He and Jacqueline became symbols new America, and all Americans believed in the beautiful fairy tale of their love. But from the inside, this story was more like a drama.

After all, John did not become a monogamist after his marriage. He continued to have affairs on the side and short-term affairs with models, actresses, flight attendants, secretaries, assistants... Jackie could not bring herself to take it calmly, although outwardly she always tried to “keep her face.”

One day, a maid cleaning John's bedroom found women's silk panties there and returned them to Jackie. She did not show that this intimate part of the toilet did not belong to her, and when she saw John, she handed him the underwear with a calm face: “This is not my size.”

Jackie tried to behave in such a way as to arouse John's jealousy - she danced at receptions with the most elegant gentlemen, accepted invitations to concerts... But this did not bother him, he was confident in his wife.

And she had to console herself with the fact that there is not a single faithful husband in the world, they do not exist in nature at all. Jacqueline Kennedy never discussed John's infidelity even with herself close friend- Sister Lee, with whom she shared everything. Apparently she suffered a lot and was too proud to complain.

But if her character helped her not to show in front of others how this hurt her, then it was an unbearable strain on her nerves. She began to have hysterics, she often quite angrily parodied John or one of their friends, refused to go to a public dinner if she found out that her husband’s next mistress would be there...

But some people noticed that even John’s most famous passion, Mary Monroe, was somehow subtly similar to Jackie.

Maybe, with all his debauchery, he still loved her? Does such love exist?

One day, during another interview, John was asked to describe Jackie in one word. He thought about it, smiled and said: “Fairy.”

When it's time to move to White House Jackie threw a wild scandal at her husband, saying that this was a dungeon, that there was tasteless furniture and terrible rooms, that it was just a barn, cheap hotel. John could not stand it and allowed his wife to do everything as she wanted. Perhaps this was the largest renovation in the history of the White House.

In just over a year, the White House has turned into a “museum” filled with unique antiques worth tens of millions. And Jacqueline, in order to give her new home real coziness, covered the tables with colored tablecloths and installed cozy bamboo furniture.

Jackie did her best to protect her children from the press, believing that they did not need to be in the spotlight. John thought differently. Once, when Jackie was in Italy, John allowed his children to be interviewed in his office. The whole country was amused and touched by little Carolina’s answer to a reporter’s question about what her father does: “He doesn’t do anything at all. He just sits at his desk all day without socks or shoes!”

All the newspapers in the country reprinted this remark, Caroline became a press star, and Jackie was furious. But reporters had already created a new idol and wrote about him tirelessly.

Just as diligently as the image of the family, Jacqueline built her own image. She smoked a lot - up to 60 cigarettes a day, but strictly vetoed being filmed with a cigarette. She tried to be polite and at the same time give a minimum of information about her life, relationship with her husband or fashion preferences. And this understatement surrounded her with a veil of mystery - which attracted those around her even more.

Her favorite designer was the Russian-American Oleg Cassini. They first met when she was in the hospital, recovering from her second birth - she had to prepare a suit for the presidential inauguration. Thanks to him, she became a trendsetter.

Presidents and kings melted before the charm of Jacqueline Kennedy; even our Khrushchev could not resist and sent her children a puppy (seemingly from a dog that had been in space) named Pushkin as a gift. And the fiery revolutionary Che Guevara said that, despite the fact that he hates all Americans, he dreams of meeting one of them - Jacqueline... but not at the negotiating table, but in a completely different environment.

John couldn't help but be flattered by the compliments and attention his wife received. What upset him was Jacqueline’s spending habits - as if to compensate for her poor youth or lack of attention from her husband, she simply bought clothes and jewelry, spending more than 100 thousand on her person in the first year of his presidency.

When he noted that such expenses were excessive, she could not immediately understand him: “You spend much more on elections.” But then she asked her secretary to slap her hand if she wanted to buy an overly expensive dress again. But this did not stop her from accepting a leopard fur coat worth $75,000 as a gift from the ruler of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie. True, six months later, Congress deprived her of this innocent joy by passing a law that the president’s family could not receive gifts worth more than 12 thousand dollars (this law is still in effect today).

So for receptions she had to rent jewelry. Tiffany and Cartier were happy to oblige her and often sold her her favorite “trinkets” at a significant discount - for them it was excellent advertising.

But there were days in Jacqueline’s life when she was happy not only because of a new necklace or tiara. One day they were late for a reception, John was already waiting for her downstairs, and she blinded him with her beauty, walking down the stairs in a white satin dress with a deep neckline and a long train.

“Champagne,” Kennedy ordered, “Jackie, you’re beautiful, and I want to drink to it!”

Jackie always devoted four days to receptions and receptions, but she always spent three days a week with her children at the country estate, explaining that being a mother was more important to her than engaging in social activities.

Her sister Lee once remarked that Jackie would probably be happier marrying a “simple” aristocrat and spending her life in a quiet, secluded estate, taking care of the children and the garden.

Assassination of John F. Kennedy - Jacqueline kneeling in his blood

In November 1963, Jackie again had to accompany the president on his next tour. They arrived in Dallas (Texas) and stayed at a hotel to take a break from the flight. The next day, November 22, Jacqueline cursed everything in the world when choosing a suit - her assistant said that it was cold in Texas, but she only had woolen outfits, and it was +25 degrees outside. In the end, she settled on a Chanel outfit - a pink jacket and skirt with blue piping. She put on a pink hat and black sunglasses. He and John got into a dark blue Lincoln, where the governor and his wife and Senator Yarborough were waiting for them.

The ceremonial cortege slowly moved towards the square where John was to give a speech. They stopped twice along the way - John got out to chat with a group of schoolchildren and nuns who greeted him. He asked Jackie several times to take off her glasses so that the people who came to hear them could see their eyes. There was an incessant hum of voices all around.

The crack of three shots sounded no louder than the crack of paper being torn.

Jack grabbed his throat and his bloody head fell into Jacqueline's lap. Beside herself with horror, she looked at his blood-stained features and screamed over the crowd:

They killed him! They killed John!

She jumped up and, not realizing what she was doing, tried to jump out of the car like a maddened animal.

John was in a coma when they were taken to the military hospital. They couldn't help him. Jacqueline is nearby, holding his hand, until she is taken out of the operating room, all her clothes are stained with her husband's blood, and she will kneel on the operating room floor in his blood when the funeral service begins and she begins her prayer.

Jacqueline will fly with her husband's body to Washington. On board she will be asked to change clothes, but she will refuse: “Let them see what they did.” She will wear this suit when she swears in the new president of the country. She is in a hurry to tell everyone how it happened, she cannot shut up and repeats that she just needs to hold out until the funeral. She is being fed strong sedatives...

She would only take off the bloody suit on the second day; her mother would hide it in a box and put it in the attic of their house next to the wedding dress.

The security service is trying to forbid her to follow the coffin; she would be an excellent target, but Jacqueline Kennedy does not want to listen to them and accompanies the coffin from the White House to the cathedral. And at the cemetery she will bend over to her two-year-old son and tell him to say goodbye to his father - two-year-old John will give a military salute to the coffin.

She hardly cried, she held on throughout the funeral. Although she told her sister that she felt like a “bleeding wound,” that she had difficulty finding the strength to simply get out of bed in the morning, that she still reached out to touch John, and did not immediately remember that he would never be there.

Jacqueline Kennedy becomes a widow

All of America mourned the death of Kennedy, who managed to win universal sympathy; people cried in the streets and sent hundreds of thousands of letters and telegrams to support Jackie and express their condolences. As the widow of the president, she was given a pension of 25 thousand dollars a year, she had the support of the Kennedy clan and her own income from various funds.

She became not just a widow - Jacqueline and the children became national symbols, a kind of shrine. They were invited to visit, sent gifts (the Prince of Morocco gave them a palace so that Jackie and the children could live there at any time), children, streets and parks were named in their honor.

She could not calmly go out into the street; reporters and onlookers were always waiting for her.

Hoping that she will be less bothered if she leaves, Jacqueline and her children move to New York, buy an apartment on Fifth Avenue, enroll the children in school, hoping to forget about everyday worries, but on the anniversary of John's death she has another breakdown. She goes outside and sees his face everywhere, his name in the newspaper headlines, footage of the murder on TV. She is crying, she is hysterical, she repeats only one thing: we must forget this, forget it, let her better people They celebrate his birthday, not his death...

John's brother Robert supported her very much. He was almost always there, supporting and comforting Jackie and spending a lot of time with her children. There were rumors that they became lovers and that the FBI had a detailed file about their affair, but Robert laughed in response to such questions, and his wife Ethel was not at all jealous of her sister-in-law, on the contrary, she was on very good terms with her, friendly relations. Perhaps Jackie had such a reverent attitude towards Robert because of his resemblance to his brother or because of his support, or they really sympathized with each other - we can hardly say about this for sure.

Robert's political career was cut short at its peak - he was shot on the threshold of the Ambassador Hotel in front of his pregnant wife.

History went in circles.

When Jackie and Ethel, who were on duty at the hospital, were informed that Robert had died, Jacqueline, without holding back, burst into tears at the top of her voice - she could no longer “keep her face.” Her children were mortally afraid, they were afraid that unknown people wanted to kill all the living Kennedys.

Jacqueline was very scared, she needed a fulcrum, something or someone who would forever rid her of this dirty politics and protect her and the children. She screamed that she hated America, where they kill the best people that she and her children will also be killed...

She started drinking. More precisely, she began a drinking binge, and several times she appeared in public in a completely insane state. However, the newspapers did not seek to publish these scandalous photographs - even the tabloid magazines did not want to profit from the Kennedy tragedy.

From First Lady to Courtesan

She was loved and pitied. And suddenly Jacqueline does not act at all as befits an “idol” and “idol.” Five years (only five years!) after Kennedy's assassination, she announces her second marriage.

Mrs. Kennedy is getting married. And for whom?! For the pathetic Greek, for the “international pirate” who made his fortune through dirty deals in the sale of weapons, drugs and oil! He's not even American! And he has an affair with opera diva Maria Callas!..

All the newspapers that had previously extolled the name Jacqueline immediately tried to trample it into the mud - they called her “the most expensive courtesan” (“prostitute”, “whore”), wrote that “Kennedy died for the second time”, “Jackie married check,” they called her “First Lady of Scorpio Island” (it belonged to Onassis), caustically walked about big difference in age (she is 39, he is 62) and height: “A woman needs a man, not a radiator cap”...

But Jacqueline didn't care:

They killed my husband and still dare to try to judge me!

By the way, Jacqueline Kennedy met Aristotle Onassis during John’s lifetime. Afterwards he visited her in New York, they visited restaurants, he supported her, took care of her and the children. Gradually, marriage to Jacqueline became an obsession for Onassis, although he had an affair with opera diva Maria Callas, who sincerely loved him and was ready to do anything for him.

"He just collects famous women. He pursued me because I was famous. Now he has found an object more suitable to his vanity - the widow of the US President! And I lost everything by believing in his Love!” - Callas bitterly summed up their romance. She added: “Jackie did the right thing by providing her children with a grandfather. Aristotle is as rich as Croesus."

Most likely, this was the case - Jacqueline did not marry her lover, not a man, but a symbol of safety and reliability, and for the opportunity not to worry about money and the future of her children.

Second husband of Jacqueline Kennedy

On her wedding day, what awaited her was not a simple ring with a diamond, but a set of rubies and diamonds worth a million dollars, plus a million each for the children’s accounts and three million for her personal account as a wedding gift. Their houses in Paris, and their own island, and apartments in Athens, and a yacht, and the planes of their own airline - everything is guarded so that not even a fly will pass by.

At first, the new husband fulfilled all her whims - he gave a huge amount of jewelry, sable fur coats worth 100 thousand, Rolls-Royces, paintings, antiques, real estate - Jacqueline sent all the bills directly to Aristotle’s office.

“God is my witness,” he said new husband, “Jackie suffered a lot, let her rejoice, let her buy whatever she wants.”

But Jacqueline’s spending sometimes simply knew no bounds - she could spend 100 thousand in a store in 10 minutes, and in the first year she spent 15 million from her husband’s fortune - even for a millionaire this was a very significant amount.

In addition, there were rumors that Jackie then slowly resold her acquisitions, replenishing her personal accounts - that is, she was not a thoughtless spender, but calculatedly emptied his accounts, ensuring her personal future.

After such a discovery, the Greek cut Jacqueline’s expenses to 100 thousand a year, which simply caused a collapse of scandals and hysterics. Jacqueline began to humiliate Aristotle, pointing out his peasant manners and mocking the manners and upbringing of his daughter. It was already too much...

Jacqueline Onassis is a widow for the second time

The couple began to spend less and less time together, they lived on different continents (she in New York, he in Paris), and Aristotle was already figuring out how to get a divorce. little blood when his beloved son Alexander suddenly died. Then there was a suicide attempt by Christina’s daughter (he found out that she had become a drug addict). The old man's heart could not withstand these blows of fate...

He is admitted to a hospital in Manhattan, but Jacqueline, who lives very close by, never comes to see him. Onassis changes his will, in which almost all of his fortune went to Jacqueline, to another, according to which her maintenance will be “only” 200 thousand dollars a month.

Aristotle is treated in Athens and Paris, he is diagnosed with stomach and muscle diseases, in Paris he undergoes an operation, for which Jacqueline flies in, but maintains equanimity against the backdrop of noisy relatives. After the operation, Aristotle remains in a coma, he hangs between life and death, but Jacqueline flies to New York, and his daughter Christina remains at the old man’s bedside, in whose arms he dies.

“I don’t treat her badly,” Christina said about Jacqueline, “I hate her endlessly”!

The newspapers wrote that “Lady Kennedy” became a widow for the second time—she was no longer called “Lady Onassis.”

For a year, Christina and Jacqueline and countless lawyers fought over the inheritance. In the end, Jacqueline snatched 26 million for herself and her children (plus 200 thousand monthly for the rest of her life).

Having become financially independent, Jackie took up what she started with - journalism. At 46, she got a job as an editor at Viking Press, and then moved to Double Day. At first, as an ordinary editor, she didn’t even have her own office: “Like anyone else, I had to work my way to an office with a window.” After six years of work, she became a senior editor and is working with memoirs of show business stars, releasing expensive photo albums and historical biographies...

Her last boyfriend for 12 years was Maurice Templeman, a financier and businessman involved in the sale of diamonds. He was old, fat and bald and idolized Jacqueline's every action. Divorced his wife because of her, left his three children and practical advice helped Jackie increase her fortune to 120 million. Jacqueline spent the last years of her life 100 km from New York in her castle, surrounded by 200 hectares of property.

She looked young and stylish even at 60, remaining slim and sexy (we will leave the tricks of plastic surgeons behind the scenes). The secret of her youth was still something else, because she smoked three packs a day and used various psychostimulants for a long time - but she remained a beauty.

When she was diagnosed with cancer and realized that treatment was pointless, she asked to be discharged so she could die at home.

In accordance with her will, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was buried in Arlington Cemetery, next to John F. Kennedy's grave.

So that no one would have any doubt who she loved all her life.

The wedding of the most stylish woman in America, ex-wife President, “saint” Jackie and the Greek tycoon, “pirate” and the richest man in the world, Aristo Onassis, firmly entered the history of the 20th century as a loud international scandal.

This became one of the most discussed events in the world. The Americans were outraged. Jacqueline betrayed the memory of her beloved husband and the most popular president of the United States, “only” 5 years have passed since his death! Many never forgave her for this “betrayal” and even refused to pronounce it new surname completely, reducing it to one disparaging letter O.

America's First Lady

From a young age, Jacqueline Bouvier understood for herself that all men cheat on their wives. For her, this thought was as familiar as the air she breathed. Before my eyes was the example of my father - an impressive man who knew how to present himself; he did not hesitate to have numerous affairs, although he was married to Jacqueline’s mother. For the parents, such a union ended in failure, but Jackie continued to adore her father and believed that he did everything right, and it could not be otherwise. His daughter was always on his side. Throughout her life, she will look for her father's traits in her lovers and husbands, allowing her to be a toy in her hands. powerful of the world and therefore suffer from loneliness and humiliation.

1942 Jacqueline 13 years old

However, if Jackie was destined to struggle with her own erroneous ideas, the arena for her was not a quiet provincial town, but the heart huge country. She had to cope with her problems and “lick” her heart wounds in front of a million-strong public. She went through all the tests with a radiant smile on her face, for which she was often called “cold”, devoid of real, human emotions, although few people know what was going on in her heart all this time. Perhaps it was bleeding.

The wedding of Jacqueline and John Kennedy became a real fairy tale for Americans. The promising, handsome Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the spectacular, intelligent Jackie Bouvier instantly became America's favorites. When John became the 35th President of the United States, the country welcomed its new First Lady with open arms. For the first time, America was represented by such a harmonious couple, for the first time the country had a young and beautiful presidential wife.

Kennedy family. August, 1962

However, in reality, the marriage of Jacqueline and John turned out to be a glossy picture, on back side which reigned endless betrayals Kennedy, he didn’t even consider it necessary to hide them. For him Jackie was ideal wife, increasing his rating in the eyes of the public. For all the humiliations, Jacqueline “recouped” on external attributes. With each inner experience, she honed her impeccable style of dress more and more until she turned into an icon that women all over the world looked up to.

Meeting with the "pirate"

Jacqueline was introduced to top-class businessman, billionaire with an Argentine passport, Ari Onassis, by her sister Lee, an eternal rival and at the same time her most devoted person. Aristotle was not only fabulously rich, he was passionate, sexy and knew how to be charming. He was surrounded by an aura of powerful animal energy, the power of which the fair sex could not resist. Jackie was no exception. Against the wishes of her husband and his brother Robert, she went to Onassis's luxury yacht, at that time the businessman was dating her sister and was even thinking about marrying her. But the meeting with the first lady amazed him, and after the cruise he gave both ladies jewelry. The gifts intended for Jackie turned out to be more expensive than those that went to her sister. A month later, the US President was assassinated.

The Kennedy brothers hated Onassis. A special mutual hostility “connected” Aristotle with Robert Kennedy, who, according to Onassis, constantly put a spoke in his wheels. Aristotle made his fortune using a business genius's unparalleled business sense and lack of principles. He earned his first million by the age of 25. This lucky thief in law irritated competitors with his successful deals and personal fleet of supertankers, and anti-mafia structures with his huge fortune. It was difficult to catch him, that's all the right people Aristotle already had them “in his pocket.” Bobby Kennedy signed his own death warrant by becoming Attorney General and declaring war on the mafia. There were rumors that Onassis's money was used to fire a fatal shot at the future president; the businessman had personal reasons to hate Robert. After the death of President John F. Kennedy, Bobby had an affair with his widow Jacqueline Kennedy, a woman whom Aristo had already planned for his wife.

Ironically, Onassis never married the one with whom he could have become truly happy - singer Maria Callas. The Greek passions that raged in this couple ideally satisfied the temperaments of both lovers. They were like halves of a whole, but Maria’s availability, her all-forgiving love were too ordinary for Ari. He lacked danger, drive, he needed a woman who was passionate and unapproachable at the same time. For his money, he could buy anything except recognition and love of the people. Jackie Kennedy had beauty and fame, she attracted him with her ideality, and she could help him regain his rights in America...

Shock the whole world

Onassis began to visit Jacqueline more and more often; she was glad of his support and sympathy. He seemed to understand all her problems. She was burdened by the image of a holy martyr, who was destined to bear the cross of the unfortunate widow of the most popular president all her life. She was loved by the people and was rightfully considered a living legend, but she did not have one thing - protection. After the death of her husband, she was incredibly afraid of new attempts on the Kennedy clan, and most of all she was afraid for her two children. A marriage with the strong and omnipotent Aristo could solve all her problems, including money. The only person The person who opposed this marriage was Bobby Kennedy. He openly stated that as long as he was alive, Jackie would not marry Onassis. His words turned out to be prophetic. On June 5, 1968, Bobby, who was confidently heading towards the presidency of the United States, was shot and killed.

With Aristotle Onassis, 1969

Jacqueline rushed about like a wounded wolf, she begged Ari to take her away from this terrible country, full of murder and betrayal, asked to save her and her children. On October 10, the tanker tycoon put a ring with a huge ruby ​​and diamonds worth $1.2 million on the former first lady's finger. Onassis was used to doing everything on a grand scale. Jackie was 39 years old, Aristotle was 62 years old when they were legally married on October 20, 1968 in his own greek island Scorpio. Photographers were allowed to take just a couple of photos from the wedding ceremony; they went around the whole world. The newspapers appealed to Jackie's conscience and called her a traitor. Those who had recently put her on a pedestal turned away, but she no longer cared. Onassis's children, son Alexander and daughter Christina, were also against the wedding, who did not recognize anyone next to their father except their mother, his first wife Tina.

However, the marriage, which was promising for both, lasted only a few weeks. The veil of mutual attraction, charm and even passion subsided. Marriage became formal. Ari returned with a penitent to Maria Callas, but she was no longer as supportive of him as before. Jackie, again deprived of care and love, began to spend the billionaire’s money at cosmic speed. Mountains of dresses from latest collections famous designers, endless pairs of shoes, expensive objects of art, which Jackie knew a lot about, were bought up regardless of price, checks came to Onassis’s office. Aristotle’s assistants were horrified by the scale of the waste; Onassis himself at first turned a blind eye to his wife’s extravagance, but soon began to understand the seriousness of his situation. Marriage to Jackie could leave him without a cent in his pocket, his fortune was melting before his eyes.

Money and power

Onassis turned to a private detective and ordered him to monitor every step of his wife, who lived almost constantly in New York. Aristotle hoped to collect dirt on Jacqueline and divorce her as quickly as possible, but his plans collapse with unexpected death Alexandra. They understood each other poorly during life, but after the death of his son, Aristo could not find peace; a gigantic supply of vitality began to leave him. On March 15, 1975, Aristotle Onassis, whose name would later become synonymous with success and wealth, died from a serious illness in a hospital near Paris, before last days His daughter and sisters looked after him; Jackie was in New York at that time. Jackie's lawyer, without any hesitation, immediately after the funeral started talking about money. Onassis left Jacqueline and her children a small inheritance, but this was not enough. Christina Onassis had to pay the widow $26 million in exchange for breaking all ties with their family. Jackie provided for herself and her children for the rest of their lives.

Interest in Jackie Kennedy - and this is what loyal fans continued to call her even after her marriage to Onassis - has not faded away. recent years her life, nor after her death in 1994. After Aristo’s death, she began working as an editor, but the mysterious introvert never fulfilled everyone’s desire to write her own memoirs. And how much she could tell! Jacqueline found herself in the thick of things when the so-called “curses” affected two of the most powerful and richest clans- Onassis and Kennedy. She became Elena the Beautiful and a bone of contention not only for rivals, but also for brothers. In 2009, after the death of Kennedy, the younger brother of John F. Kennedy, what he himself believed was his worst sin became known - he, too, was in love with Jacqueline Kennedy, and was afraid that it would cost him his life.

Photo: East News, Global Look Press, Legion-Media.ru

28 March 2013, 19:04

Jacqueline Leigh Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, born Jacqueline Bouvier (French. Jacqueline Bouvier) (July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was the wife of American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Kennedy), her second husband was billionaire Aristotle Onassis (eng. Onassis). Jackie was First Lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963.

But her name, despite two high-profile marriages, is forever associated with the world of fashion, in which Jackie was called a style icon, an ambassador of elegance, a trendsetter of fashion, beauty and grace in America and Europe, a heroine of gossip columns, an example of sophisticated femininity, which remains such to this day. day.

Jackie Kennedy's most infamous costume was the pink bouclé suit she wore on the day of her husband's death; it became a symbol of the assassination of President Kennedy and one of the lasting looks of the 1960s. It is usually called the “pink Chanel suit.” In fact, it is made from fabric produced for the Chanel fashion house, but in the USA, by Chez Ninon.

John Kennedy did not approve of Jacqueline's passion for European clothing brands and called for maintaining the spirit of patriotism. And Jackie, how smart woman, found a wonderful compromise - she often ordered replicas of European dresses from America. Usually the “court” designer Oleg Cassini helped her in this, but the “Chanel” suits were made by Chez Ninon. When the president was shot, her husband's blood got on Jackie's suit. On the plane, she was asked to change clothes, but she refused, saying: “Let them see what they did.” Today, this suit, stained with the blood of the murdered president, is kept in the National Archives.

The style of Jacqueline Kennedy continues to stand out as a separate trend, both in terms of ready-to-wear clothing and accessories, which are invariably associated with her name, saying that this is a “bag in the style of Jacqueline Kennedy”, “a dress a la Jackie Kennedy."

Jackie loved European fashion designers. Her wedding dress was created by Ann Lowe in 1953, and she has also worn designs from Balenciaga, Givenchy, Carolina Herrera and Christian Lacroix. She had outfits that were created individually for her by the American stylist Oleg Cassini, and was very fond of outfits inspired by Parisian style. Her second wedding dress, which she wore to her wedding to Aristotle Onassis, was created by Italian couturier Valentino Garavani.

John Kennedy did not approve of Jacqueline's passion for European clothing brands and called for maintaining the spirit of patriotism. And Jackie, as a smart woman, found a wonderful compromise - she often ordered replicas of European dresses from America. Usually the “court” designer Oleg Cassini helped her in this, but the “Chanel” suits were made by Chez Ninon.

Jackie Kennedy Onassis's clothing style is a mixture of chic, elegance and utilitarianism.

In many ways, her style was determined by the nuances of her face and figure. By nature, Jacqueline was not particularly beautiful: very wide-set eyes, a “square” face, first size breasts, not very graceful hands, shoe size 41. But at the same time, Jackie had a fairly beautiful shoulder line, slender legs and a thin waist. Knowing how to choose the right clothes and accessories, she always looked (!) sophisticated and stunning!

The need to hide one thing and emphasize the other led to the fact that the first lady's favorites were a-line dresses with a round or V-neck, all kinds of gloves, sunglasses with large glasses, square and oval, covering most of the face, jackets and light sweaters with 3/4 sleeves, two-piece suits, Hermes scarves, shoes with a narrow toe. And the constant bob haircut suited Jacqueline’s face perfectly. All these details of her image gave birth to a good dozen trends that are still alive today. And all these trends, which today are known as indicators of the style of that era, were introduced into fashion by Jacqueline Kennedy.

In general, large sunglasses are a real find for Jacqueline. She tried never to be photographed from the front, because she knew well that from this angle it was especially noticeable how wide her eyes were. And sunglasses with large frames and large lenses perfectly hid this flaw. Other women liked the find so much that it was Jacqueline’s easy suggestion that such glasses came into fashion in the 60s and became popular. They are still popular now; glasses in this style can now be seen on 9 out of 10 fashionistas.

Jacqueline was born into an aristocratic family. True, her father skillfully spent his fortune on pretty women. But it was he who became little Jackie’s first teacher in the formation of an elegant style. The father drove his daughters around the best stores New York and instilled a refined taste. After their parents' divorce, the girls were forced to follow different traditions: their mother preferred a strict and almost official style, demanding from his daughters the same attitude towards their own appearance. But it was precisely this combination of paternal chic and maternal rigor that formed the basis characteristic style Jackie: elegant, bright and luxurious at the same time. During her studies at the Sorbonne, Jacqueline honed her style, often looking at the windows of expensive Parisian boutiques.

"I always wanted to be a writer or a newspaper journalist. But after college... it turned out differently." "The only rule for me is don't follow the rules" famous phrases Jacqueline Kennedy.

Jacqueline showed an example of impeccable taste and style to the whole world, a resident of the most different countries The image of this style icon, relevant beyond time and space, is still copied, and famous designers quote the “Jackie style” in their fashion collections, complementing it with modern details.

October 20, 1968 b Former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy married Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis. American newspapers called this wedding “The Second Death of Kennedy.”

In June 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Jacqueline could not find a place for herself out of fear for the lives of her children. She said: "If they kill Kennedy, then my children are also targets... I want to leave this country." Trying to protect herself and her children, she accepted Aristotle Onassis's proposal to marry him. The wealthy Greek shipping magnate had long been courting President Kennedy's widow. Taking advantage of his position in society and wealth, he could provide his new wife and her children with complete security.

The wedding took place in a small chapel on Onassis's private island of Skorpios in the Ionian Sea a month before the fifth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On the day of the wedding it was raining and arriving guests were forced to take shelter under umbrellas.

Onassis wore a dark formal suit, and the bride wore an ivory dress from Valentino. After photographs from this wedding ceremony were published on the front pages of newspapers and magazines, Italian fashion designer a huge line of fashionistas lined up asking them to make them a dress similar to Jacqueline’s wedding dress.

During the 45-minute ceremony, Jackie and Onassis stood silently in front of an altar decorated with antique Byzantine icons purchased by the groom from private collectors. At the end of the ceremony, according to the ancient Greek tradition, they walked together around the altar three times and then kissed.

A Greek Orthodox priest untied the ribbons binding the newlywed couple's hands together and at that moment Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, who was 23 years younger than her new husband, became Mrs. Aristotle Socrates Onassis.

At the exit from the chapel, guests, according to another Greek tradition, showered the newlyweds with rice and almonds: rice for fertility, almonds for happiness

In total, about forty of the newlyweds' closest friends and relatives, including their children, attended the ceremony. Jacqueline's children Caroline and John Jr. even took part in the ceremony. They were entrusted with carrying two six-pound candles, which are an invariable attribute of a traditional Greek wedding.

As a wedding gift, the Greek billionaire gave his new lover gold ring(worth one and a half million dollars), decorated with a huge ruby, and several diamonds, each one carat.

The news of Jacqueline's re-wedding caused bewilderment and even indignation among the Americans, who practically idolized her. Newspapers called this wedding “The Second Death of Kennedy.” Jacqueline boldly responded to criticism addressed to her, she boldly said: “You killed my husband - I don’t want to indulge you and remain on the pedestal!”

This short marriage was not very happy. The couple had to go through several bitter moments. At one time, Onassis even hired private detectives, trying to convict his wife of infidelity and divorce her. And in January 1973 he died in a car accident only son Aristotle Onassis. This event shook the health of the Greek tycoon and 2 years later, on March 15, 1975, he died in Paris. Having become a widow for the second time, Jacqueline was forced to get involved in litigation over the inheritance of her second husband. After two years of legal battles, she received compensation in the amount of $26 million from Onassis' daughter Christina, who is his only heir, and renounced her claim to Onassis's other property.

Associated Press photos used in this article

They were beautiful couple. The perfect couple for thousands of Americans. They smiled from magazine covers, held hands and even kissed in photographs together. They even had almost the same name (in America, Jackie is a diminutive form of Jacqueline). They became heroes of American hearts, happy lovers whom I wanted to watch without stopping.

Everything in life was wrong.

Jacqueline met John Kennedy at a reception in 1952. A year later they got married. And a year later, Jacqueline Kennedy earned her first nervous breakdown. She dreamed of a cozy family nest, but it turned out that she had to fit into the large Kennedy clan. Jacqueline Kennedy was too sophisticated, too educated and too well-mannered compared to John's sisters. They didn't like her, and communicating with them was very difficult for Jackie.

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The second reason for Jacqueline Kennedy's sorrows was the loving John, who was by no means faithful husband. His endless affairs and novels gave her no rest. A few years after their wedding, Jackie told her father-in-law that she was going to file for divorce. Joe found reasons to dissuade her. Jacqueline Kennedy did not talk about divorce anymore.

Did she love her husband? Yes. Jacqueline Kennedy supported him in all his endeavors, was his faithful companion and an assistant. Jackie always looked amazing. Everything she put on immediately became fashionable. She had some amazing innate sense of style that allowed her to be sophisticated even in the most simple things. When John became president, Jackie turned the White House into a fairytale palace. She led tours of it for journalists, and ordinary Americans glued their eyes to their television screens to see the woman who performed the miracle.

For John himself, his wife was a mystery that he could never solve. He understood that she was head and shoulders above all the women with whom he had affairs. Perhaps John Kennedy would not have become half of what he became if Jackie had not been next to him. And he knew it.

Despite all their differences, Jack and Jackie had a lot in common. They liked the same plays, they read the same books. They both knew how to stupefy their interlocutor with an unexpected question and discourage them with a witty answer. Together they were invincible. This was probably the key to their success.

Shots fired in Dallas

And then thunder struck. The assassination of John Kennedy was a shock to all of America. Jacqueline, in her pink Chanel suit stained with the president's blood, became a symbol of grief the whole country. She showed everyone how to handle grief with dignity that was beyond her control.

In public, Jacqueline Kennedy behaved superbly. She played the role of the president's widow beautifully, although in reality she had almost no idea what she was doing.

In the fall of 1963, Jacqueline turned into a robot that mechanically performed the learned movements. Eyewitnesses of those events close to Jacqueline recall that she was crushed by the death of her husband. The life she had so carefully built changed overnight.

Was there Bobby?

Jacqueline is credited with a huge number of novels with the most different men. But none of them excited the minds of her fans and opponents as much as her affair with Robert Kennedy, the younger brother of the late John. There is no documentary evidence of this connection. But every year more and more rumors, ambiguous quotes and supposedly reliable memories appear. It is unlikely that we will ever know the truth. One way or another, many of Jacqueline Kennedy's contemporaries are sure that she was the only woman Bobby loved. And this despite his wife Ethel and eleven children! Jackie is credited with the phrase she allegedly uttered when talking about Bobby: “I would stick my hand in the fire for him.” This is very similar to Jacqueline Kennedy - this passionate nature, always ready to take risks for those she loved.