Lee Radziwill & Prince Stanisław: Jackie Kennedy's Sister and the Polish Prince
Jackie Kennedy's glamorous younger sister married a Polish prince, but affairs with Onassis and others ended the fairy tale
Key Facts
What Happened
Lee Bouvier was Jacqueline Kennedy's younger sister and spent her life in Jackie's shadow, trying to carve out her own identity as a socialite, interior designer, and actress. In 1959, she married Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł, a Polish-British aristocrat and real estate developer who was 14 years her senior. To marry Stas, Lee first needed to obtain an annulment of her previous marriage to Michael Canfield, which required lobbying the Vatican with the help of the Kennedy family's political connections.
The marriage produced two children, Anthony and Anna Christina, but was troubled almost from the start. Lee began an affair with Aristotle Onassis in the early 1960s, and there were rumors that she introduced Onassis to Jackie. When Jackie married Onassis in 1968 after Bobby Kennedy's assassination, Lee was reportedly devastated, feeling that her sister had stolen the man she loved. The irony was exquisite and painful.
Prince Stas, meanwhile, had his own affairs. The couple lived increasingly separate lives throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their divorce was finalized in 1974 after 15 years of marriage. Just two years later, Prince Stanisław died of a heart attack at age 62. Lee never remarried, though she had several high-profile relationships, including with photographer Peter Beard and film director Herb Ross.
Lee Radziwill died in 2019 at age 85. Her life story reflected the particular challenges faced by women in high society marriages where title and social standing were intertwined with personal fulfillment. The marriage to Stas gave Lee her princess title, which she used for the rest of her life, but it could not give her the love and recognition she craved.
Legal Breakdown: International Marriages and Annulments
Religious Annulments and Civil Marriage
Lee needed a Catholic annulment of her first marriage before she could marry Prince Radziwiłł in the Church. Religious annulments are separate from civil divorces and require proving that the original marriage was invalid under canon law. The Kennedy family's Vatican connections facilitated this process, highlighting how wealth and power can navigate religious bureaucracies.
International Marriage Jurisdictions
A marriage between an American woman and a Polish-British prince created jurisdictional complexity. Which country's laws governed the marriage, the divorce, the property division, and the custody of children? International marriages often require legal counsel in multiple countries to ensure all obligations are properly addressed.
Retaining Title After Divorce
Lee continued to use the title 'Princess Radziwiłł' after her divorce. In European aristocratic tradition, divorced wives may retain their husband's title by convention, though not by strict legal right. In practical terms, the title had social and professional value that Lee leveraged throughout her career as a socialite and designer.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →If your marriage requires a religious annulment to proceed, understand that this is a separate legal process from civil divorce and may require its own legal counsel.
- →International marriages create jurisdictional complexity. Ensure you have legal advice in all relevant countries before and during the marriage.
- →Social standing and titles acquired through marriage may have real professional value. Consider their worth during divorce negotiations.
- →Living in the shadow of a famous sibling or family member can put enormous strain on a marriage. Ensure your relationship is built on its own foundation, not reflected glory.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
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