She Watched Truman Capote Burn Down High Society... Then He Came For Her: Lee Radziwill

Video Description

This in-depth, full-length documentary explores how Lee Radziwill, sister to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, carved her own path from Bouvier family pedigree to European princess through marriage to Polish aristocrat Prince Stanisław Radziwiłł, while navigating a lifelong rivalry with Jackie, devastating heartbreak when Jackie married Aristotle Onassis after Lee introduced them, and personal tragedies including her son Anthony's death and nephew JFK Jr.'s plane crash. ------------------- Gain FREE access to secret full-length documentaries on wealthy families "too scandalous for YouTube" by joining our newsletter: https://www.substack.com/@oldmoneyluxury ------------------- Lee Radziwill was born March 3, 1933, into the influential Bouvier family as sister to future First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, growing up in a world where appearances, social status, and wealth were paramount. Their father John "Black Jack" Bouvier III was a charming but reckless Wall Street speculator whose gambling, drinking, and extravagant spending left the family financially unstable despite their social prominence. Major John Vernou Bouvier Junior, Black Jack's father, had established the family's New York society status as a respected lawyer, accumulating wealth and influence that his son frequently jeopardized. Their mother Janet Norton Lee Bouvier possessed steely determination and unrelenting drive for social mobility, coming from banking and real estate fortune through her father James Thomas Lee. After divorcing Black Jack in the early 1940s when Jackie was ten, Janet quickly remarried wealthy Washington businessman Hugh D. Auchincloss, bolstering the sisters' elite connections. Both sisters attended Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut, an exclusive institution training high-born women in conversation, demeanor, and social graces beyond academics. While Jackie resembled their father and became his favorite, Lee was closer to their mother, creating family tension that deepened as the girls matured into adulthood. Lee's determination to step out of Jackie's shadow intensified after her sister's meteoric rise through marriage to future President John F. Kennedy. In 1959, Lee married Prince Stanislas "Stash" Radziwiłł, a Polish nobleman with European aristocracy ties, granting her the coveted title of princess she cherished long after their 1974 divorce. Her social circle glittered across New York, London, and Paris, yet her accomplishments were consistently eclipsed by Jackie's status as First Lady and later iconic Kennedy widow. The defining moment in their complicated relationship came when Lee introduced Jackie to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in the early 1960s. Lee had developed a close relationship with Onassis and was reportedly considering leaving her husband for the immensely wealthy, charming, and powerful magnate. After Jackie's newborn son Patrick died in 1963, she sought solace joining Lee and Onassis on a Mediterranean cruise where her relationship with Onassis deepened. Jackie's 1968 marriage to Onassis devastated Lee, who had envisioned herself as his partner, confiding to Truman Capote "How could she do this to me?" This emotional blow created a rift that never fully healed despite shared tragedies and public displays of sisterly unity. Lee attempted acting with 1967's "The Philadelphia Story" and 1968's television "Laura," but critics were harsh and her theatrical career ended quickly. Photographers like Richard Avedon and Andy Warhol immortalized her striking presence, while designers Marc Jacobs and Yves Saint Laurent found inspiration in her chic style. She channeled her refined taste into interior design, attracting high-profile clients and design magazine attention, solidifying her standing as a tastemaker. Truman Capote adored Lee as one of his "swans," claiming she truly embodied beauty, elegance, and refinement more than even globally famous Jackie. Lee remained a fixture on best-dressed lists well into later years, proving her impeccable fashion sense never wavered as time passed. Profound personal tragedies struck in 1999 when her son Anthony Radziwiłł succumbed to cancer after a prolonged battle that left her devastated. Just weeks before Anthony's death, her nephew John F. Kennedy Jr. perished in a tragic plane crash, delivering two staggering blows that thrust Lee into extended mourning. Despite unimaginable losses and living in Jackie's shadow, Lee Radziwill emerged as a figure of enduring grace, known for impeccable taste and deep connections with twentieth century icons.