Who was Arabella Kennedy? The untold story of JFK’s daughter
It is no secret that the Kennedy family has seen its fair share of political success and wealth. Although JFK and his wife experienced five pregnancies, only two kids survived. This is the story of Arabella Kennedy, the couple’s first daughter.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was the 35th president of the United States.
- He served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.
- Arabella Kennedy is buried next to her parents.
Arabella Kennedy’s profile summary
| Full name | Arabella Kennedy |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 23 August 1956 |
| Date of death | 23 August 1956 |
| Birthplace | Newport, Rhode Island, USA |
| Burial place | Arlington, Virginia, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Irish and French ancestry |
| Parents | John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis |
| Siblings | Caroline, John Jr. and Patrick |
Interesting facts about JFK’s daughter, Arabella Kennedy
Arabella Kennedy's parents, JFK and Jackie were introduced by a mutual friend at a dinner party. They tied the knot on 12 September 1953 in Rhode Island. Although Jackie considered herself a mother of five, only two of her children survived beyond birth.
Source: Original
The birth of Arabella Kennedy
Jacqueline became pregnant in 1955 but lost the child after the first trimester. She was expectant a year later. Unlike Jackie’s first pregnancy, this time, she carried it past the first and second trimesters.
However, things took a turn for the worse on 23 August 1956 when she was rushed to the hospital after experiencing bleeding. Sadly, the child, whom Jackie would later call Arabella, was stillborn.
JFK’s reaction to Arabella’s death
John Kennedy was reportedly on a yacht in the Mediterranean when he received the heart-breaking report about his child’s death. JFK was allegedly advised to return home to his grieving wife.
According to the Huffington Post, John’s friend, George Smathers, told JFK to rush home after he warned him that his absence would negatively affect his political career.
You better return home to your wife if you ever want to run for president.
Source: Getty Images
Where was Arabella Kennedy buried?
Jackie and John buried their daughter at a Catholic cemetery in Rhode Island. After JFK’s death, she had the baby’s remains transferred to Arlington National Cemetery where he was laid to rest. Arabella’s grave was marked ‘’Daughter’’.
As documented by the First Ladies Archive, Jackie never left a written record of the child’s name. It is unclear if her husband was even aware of the name.
About Arabella Kennedy’s siblings
Despite Jacqueline’s pregnancy difficulties, the couple kept trying to have kids. On 27 November 1957, the couple welcomed their daughter, Caroline Bouvier Kennedy.
Two weeks after John was elected president in 1960, the family welcomed their first son, John Kennedy Jr. However, initial reports that the infant was healthy were misleading. He had been born prematurely and with a respiratory defect.
Although JFK Jr. survived a tracheostomy at birth, he would later die in a plane crash at 38. In 1963, Jackie was once again expectant. This time, she went into labour five and a half weeks early via an emergency caesarean section.
Sadly, the baby named Patrick had breathing difficulties due to respiratory distress syndrome. He passed away 39 hours after his birth. When editing Arthur Schlesinger’s book A Thousand Days, JFK’s wife confirmed they had five kids in 10 years.
Source: Getty Images
How did Arabella’s dad die?
John Kennedy was assassinated on 22 November 1963 during a political trip to Dallas, Texas. US Marine veteran Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime but denied having a hand in it.
A few days later, Harvey was shot dead by Jack Ruby, who succumbed to cancer on 3 January 1967. Various conspiracy theories exist regarding JFK’s tragic murder.
Who replaced JFK when he died?
JFK’s vice president, Lyndon Baines Johnson became the 36th president of the United States after his death. He served from 1963 to 1969.
FAQs
What happened to JFK's daughter Arabella?
Arabella had already passed away at the time of her birth. Her mother, Jackie, had already lost a child before becoming pregnant with Arabella.
How many stillbirths did Jackie Kennedy have?
Jackie Kennedy suffered one pregnancy loss (1955), one stillbirth (1956), and one infant loss (Patrick, 1963). That makes two pregnancy losses if counting the stillbirth separately.
How many of JFK's kids are still alive?
Caroline Bouvier is JFK and Jackie’s only surviving child. Among her children is Jack Schlossberg.
Source: Getty Images
What happened to JFK’s son?
JFK's only living son (John-John) passed away in a plane crash in 1999 alongside his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette.
How old was Jackie when JFK died?
Jackie became a widow at 34. Five years after her husband’s death, she married Greek-Argentinian business magnate Aristotle Onassis.
Is Jackie still alive?
The book editor passed away of cancer on 18 May 1994 at 64. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetery next to JFK and their children.
In 1956, Jackie gave birth to her first child with JFK, a stillborn daughter she would later name Arabella Kennedy. The duo struggled with having kids but eventually had two living ones before the death of their only son, John-John.
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