Ethel Kennedy Had Dozens of Grandchildren Thanks to Her 11 Children With Robert F. Kennedy

On Oct. 10, 2024, Ethel Kennedy, wife to the late Robert F. Kennedy, died. She is survived by her children and numerous grandchildren. But how many grandkids did Ethel Kennedy actually have? It turns out, it was a whole lot, and as far as her kids go, one of her children wasn't born until after Robert died following his assassination in 1968. Although Ethel has also now passed away, the Kennedy name lives on through multiple generations.

Ethel died at 96 years old. According to her grandson Joe Kennedy III on X, she died from "complications related to a stroke suffered last week." Prior to her passing, Ethel had been made comfortable and was surrounded by family. Joe didn't explain further details of her death after her stroke, but Ethel was close to her kids, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren before her death.

With so many children, 11 to be exact, it should come as little surprise to know that Ethel had 34 grandkids as a result of her kids having children of their own. And when grandson Joe Kennedy III posted about Ethel's death on X in a family statement, it painted a picture of how close Ethel was to her kids and grandkids before her passing.

"It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy," he shared. "She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week. Along with a lifetime's work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly."

Most of Ethel's adult children had kids of their own. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has six kids, while Kerry Kennedy has three. Courtney Kennedy has just one child however, and Kathleen Kennedy has four. And that's not even half of the grandkids Ethel got to know before she passed away. Nearly all of Ethel's children had kids of their own, and as a result of that, Ethel also had great-grandchildren that she was able to know before her death.

At the time of Robert's death, he and Ethel had 10 children. Several months after he died, Ethel gave birth to their eleventh and final child. Ethel is survived by nine of those children. Their 11 chicken are Kathleen, Joseph, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Maxwell, Douglas, and Rory. As to be expected, all 11 Kennedy children made names for themselves in politics or at the very least in the public.

Kathleen became the lieutenant governor of Maryland in 1994. Joseph was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Robert Jr. is a politician who has made his voice about the environment and about Trump heard. Some of Ethel Kennedy's children found fame in a way that is less than ideal, however.

Two of Ethel and Robert's children died years before Ethel did. Michael died on Dec. 32, 1997 as the result of a skiing accident. David died in 1984 and, according to The New York Times, drugs were to blame, as three different drugs were found in his system and said to have contributed to his death.

Ethel is survived by nine of her children and her dozens of grandkids and great-grandkids.