Ethel Kennedy and Her Late Husband Robert F. Kennedy Had 11 Children Together
The children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy have certainly seen their fair share of comedies and tragedies.
Published Oct. 9 2024, 1:10 p.m. ET
In 1945, a then 17-year-old Ethel Skakel was just starting at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in New York City when she met and befriended Jean Kennedy, per the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The two would go on to become best friends and eventually roommates, which meant often spending time together outside of school. While skiing with the Kennedy clan at Mount Tremblant Resort in Quebec, Canada, Ethel was introduced to a young Robert F. Kennedy.
This was a rather scandalous meeting as Robert was dating Ethel's sister Patricia at the time, though they had yet to meet. When that relationship ended, Ethel and Robert began dating. By 1950 they were married and one year later, Ethel was giving birth to their first child. She would go on to have 10 more kids with Robert. Here's what we know about Ethel Kennedy's children.
Not all of Ethel Kennedy's children went into politics.
Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend was born on July 4, 1951. Imagine how thrilled America's political dynasty must have been when one of their own welcomed a child into the world on Independence Day. Not only did Kathleen take a page out of her family's massive political book, but she made history as the first female lieutenant governor of Maryland. This was on the heels of a successful career as a lawyer. In August 2021, Kathleen was hired as a retirement advisor in the Department of Labor.
A little over a year after Kathleen was born, Ethel gave birth to Joseph Patrick Kennedy II on Sept. 24, 1952. Like his older sister and most of the family, Joseph gravitated toward politics. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1989. He was also the founder of Citizens Energy which aims to "make life's basic needs more affordable."
Next up is undoubtedly the most infamous child. We are of course referring to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The failed presidential candidate has made a name for himself as an anti-vaxxer who revealed he once had a brain worm. He's also married to Cheryl Hines, of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame. Perhaps Cheryl loved the show so much, she chose to marry a person who would have made a great character.
Ethel and Robert's fourth child, David Anthony Kennedy, sadly passed away in 1984 at the age of 28. According to The New York Times, there were three types of drugs in David's system: cocaine, Demerol, and mellaril. He died from an overdose. Courtney Kennedy Hill was born on Sept. 9, 1956. Unfortunately, Courtney's life would be marked by tragedy when her daughter, Saoirse Kennedy Hill, died of an accidental drug overdose on Aug. 1, 2019, per CNN, after battling years of depression.
In January 1998, Time Magazine reported that tragedy struck the Kennedy family again when 39-year-old Michael LeMoyne Kennedy died on New Year's Eve while skiing. Michael was playing football while on skis when he accidentally ran into a tree. Sadly he was not wearing any safety equipment. He died at the hospital.
On Sept. 8, 1959, Mary Kerry Kennedy was born. Like many of her siblings, she became a lawyer but unlike many of her siblings, Mary focused on human rights. She is the president of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights nonprofit organization and has advocated for human rights on a global scale. She was also married to former governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, who was allegedly extremely abusive, per the New York Post.
Like their firstborn, Christopher George Kennedy was born on the Fourth of July in 1963. He has often supported his family in their political runs. He once told the Chicago Tribune that he has "a lot to keep up with: a brother who might run for Congress, a sister and a brother considering races for governor, a cousin who might run for Congress, another in Congress, an uncle in the Senate and a cousin-in-law, Arnold, who is thinking of running for governor."
The couple's next child, Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, didn't arrive until Jan. 11, 1965. Would it surprise anyone to learn that Matthew was a former assistant district attorney in Philadelphia where he prosecuted felonies? He has written books about his family as well as World War II, and briefly considered politics.
Douglas Harriman Kennedy was born March 24, 1967. He's a journalist who ended up at Fox News. Perhaps his most notable piece of work was securing the first interview with the officer who arrested Oklahoma City Bomber, Timothy McVeigh.
The birth of Ethel and Robert's last child had a tinge of sadness surrounding it. Rory Kennedy Bailey was born on Dec. 12, 1968, six months after her father was assassinated. It would be very easy to let something like that inform your entire life. Instead, Rory became a documentary filmmaker focused on social issues like addiction. She even made a documentary about her own mother, simply titled Ethel.
