Probably no two families have captured the public’s attention more than the Kennedys and the Windsors.
Older boomers remember where they were when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The next generation got up early to watch the fairy-tale wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. There was the public fascination with the sexiest man alive, John F. Kennedy Jr., and those who remembered the tiny boy saluting his father’s coffin rejoiced when he married Carolyn Bessette. Then there was the outpouring of public grief as first Diana and then John Jr. died untimely deaths. And of course, the cycle continues with Harry and Meghan’s separation from the family, Andrew’s scandals and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial tenure as secretary of health and human services.
As digital director for Town & Country magazine, Caroline Hallemann has covered both families. In The Kennedys & the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made, the Nashville-based writer details how their lives have intertwined for the past eight decades. Despite the relentless scrutiny of the press, some stories have been overlooked, and Hallemann brings half-hidden gems to light.
For example, after JFK’s assassination, Prince Philip attended the funeral in place of the queen, who was pregnant. At one point after the service, Jackie became overwhelmed and stepped into a bedroom. There she found Philip playing with John Jr. It’s a touching story for many reasons, not the least being that it sheds a different light on Philip, not necessarily known for his gentle side.
Another lesser-known connection is the Kennedy memorial at Runnymede, the site where the barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. In 1964, the Kennedy Memorial Trust “was established to oversee a commemoration in two parts.” One established scholarships for British postgraduates to study at Harvard and MIT, with more than 570 students benefiting to this day. The other was an actual memorial, ending with a black stone block inscribed as follows:
This acre of English ground was given to the United States of America by the people of Britain in memory of John F. Kennedy, born 29 May 1917, President of the United States 1961-63, died by an assassin’s hand 22 November 1963.
In 2023, the Kennedy Library Foundation hosted the Earthshot Prize, an initiative developed by Prince William to sponsor ideas addressing some of our planet’s major ecological problems. Prince William said he was inspired by President Kennedy: “It was the moonshot speech that inspired me to launch the Earthshot Prize with the aim of doing the same for climate change as President Kennedy did for the space race.”
Even when Hallemann discusses well-worn topics, by placing the two families together, she comes up with a fuller picture. For example, readers long inundated with photos of Jackie and Princess Diana might think there is nothing new to say about their personal style, but they clearly remain fashion icons. Just recently, a New York Times story about white pants featured a picture of Jackie. According to Hallemann, Diana’s black sheep sweater sold for over a million dollars at auction in 2023, and an authentic re-creation is an annual bestseller. “Diana, Queen Elizabeth, and Jackie Kennedy regularly serve as easily recognizable inspiration for modern runway collections,” she writes. “One rarely needs to peruse the show notes to spot the references.”
No discussion of the two families can be complete without taking on the paparazzi. Jackie was followed by the press wherever she went as first lady. In the 1980s, she sued photographer Ron Galella for assault, emotional distress and invasion of privacy. This attention only escalated for Princess Diana, John Jr., Carolyn Bessette and Meghan Markle. Diana was hounded by the paparazzi, and she also used them to her advantage. John Jr., having grown up with the attention, seemed to take it in stride, while Prince Harry, who blamed the press for his mother’s death, felt angry that his family didn’t do enough to protect Meghan. But perhaps the saddest of all the stories here is that of Carolyn Bessette, who seemed totally unprepared for the nonstop interest in her life. After the death of Princess Diana:
Carolyn could not tear herself away from the television coverage, watching and wondering if she, too, would meet a similar fate, given how ruthlessly the paparazzi pursued her and John. “I think it scared her. I think it shocked her, because she was human and she was really empathetic. It scared her about having children,” a friend said. “She was afraid of something happening if she was out with a child and John wasn’t around her.”
It is hard not to feel sympathy for Carolyn and a little guilt about our own eagerness to see pictures of people who are just trying to get on with their lives.
One of the strengths of the book is that, while it’s detailed with all the information a Kennedy or Windsor watcher could want, Hallemann is never voyeuristic. Her approach is always measured, and she never forgets that she is writing about real people.
For more local book coverage, please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.
