The United States might not have princes and princesses, but the country does have Camelot and the Kennedys, long regarded as the America's very own "royal" family. The famed clan has been a colossal part of politics — and America's history — since the late 1800s, and from then up to today, largely consecutively, there has always been a Kennedy in politics. Their family tree, naturally, is a complicated one, so we're taking a deep dive into who's who, and how the family members are all related.
From Camelot to Hollywood: Decoding the modern Kennedy family tree
For well over a century, the Kennedys have been defined by both their seemingly inherent calling to public service, as well as for how scandal and tragedy has consistently followed them.
They have had a grip on the American imagination for decades, taking hold of generation after generation, who have mourned and obsessed over their tragedies and scandals alike (all grouped into the "Kennedy curse"), including John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s assassinations, Edward "Ted" Kennedy's drowning incident in Chappaquiddick, and many of the Kennedy men's notorious, often torrid affairs. There is also, of course, the tragic, untimely deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette, as well as that of her sister Lauren's, who perished in a 1999 crash as he piloted their plane to Martha's Vineyard.
Today, the Kennedy brood is a vast network of cousins, grandchildren and in-laws (some of whom include the likes of Chris Pratt and previously Arnold Schwarzenegger). Read on below as HELLO! details a guide to the original Kennedy family tree and its key descendants.
© HELLO! Magazine / Getty ImagesJoseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888-1969) and Rose Fitzgerald (1890-1995)
The Kennedy family as we know it starts with Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and his wife Rose Fitzgerald, both of whom were born into prominent, Irish Catholic political families of Massachusetts. Joseph, born to Patrick Joseph "P.J." Kennedy and Mary Augusta Hickey Kennedy, first made his fortune (estimated at roughly $450 million at the time of his death) as a stock and commodity market investor; during World War I, he met Franklin D. Roosevelt, who later appointed him to be the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which he led from 1934 to 1935. He was later also chair of the United States Maritime Commission and a United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He outlived four of his nine children with Rose, whom he married in 1914, and died at 81 on November 18, 1969.
© Getty ImagesRose was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Mary Josephine Hannon and John Francis Fitzgerald, a senator and congressman who was also mayor of Boston from 1906 to 1908. Her father did not allow her to attend Wellesley College, which she expressed regret over for much of her life, and instead she attended a convent school that did not grant degrees at the time. Her husband Joseph famously had multiple affairs throughout their marriage, among them with Marlene Dietrich and Gloria Swanson, but the deeply Catholic Kennedy matriarch turned a blind eye, divorce not being at all an option. Both Joseph and Rose died in their famed family compound in Hyannis Port, the latter being 104 at the time of her death.
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (1914-1944)
© Getty ImagesJoseph Jr. was the first of Rose and Joseph Sr.'s nine children, and, practically as soon as he was born, was groomed by his ambitious father to be President of the United States. He graduated from Harvard University in 1938, and pursued studies in its esteemed law school, though he interrupted them to enlist in the Navy. His father's presidential dreams would not come to pass; Joseph, Jr. died at age 29 on August 12, 1944 in England during World War II's Operation Aphrodite, a secret bombing campaign led by the United States Army.
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
© Getty ImagesUpon Joseph Jr.'s death in 1944, Joseph Sr.'s wishes of rearing America's first Catholic president shifted onto, and succeeded with, his second eldest child, John F. Kennedy. Born on May 29, 1917, he became a World War II hero in 1943 before successfully running for U.S. Congress in 1947 and becoming a U.S. Senator in 1953. That same year, he married Jacqueline Bouvier, with whom he had four children: Arabella, who was stillborn, in 1956; Caroline, born in 1957; John Jr., born in 1960; and Patrick, who died 39 hours after he was born, in August 1963. JFK was the nation's first Catholic president and youngest person elected to the presidency in 1960 when he defeated Richard Nixon at 43 years old. His presidency was cut short by tragedy on November 22, 1963, when he was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald during an open-top motorcade procession in Dallas, Texas.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994)
© Getty ImagesJackie was born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier on July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New York, to Janet Lee Bouvier and John Vernou Bouvier III. Her younger sister, Caroline Lee, became Lee Radziwill, a socialite, public relations executive, and princess via her marriage to Polish aristocrat Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł. Prior to her marriage to JFK, Jacqueline, who attended Vassar College, spent her junior year abroad studying in Paris, won a 12-month editorship at Vogue, and covered the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II for The Washington Times-Herald. As first lady, she transformed her role into one that platformed the arts and culture, and, among other philanthropic projects, is credited for leading a successful campaign in the 1970s to save Grand Central Station from demolition.
Fifteen years after JFK's 1963 assassination, she wed Greek business magnate Aristotle Onassis; they were married from 1968 until his death in 1975. She died in New York City at the age of 65 after a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Caroline Kennedy (1957)
© Getty ImagesBorn on November 27, 1957, Caroline is the sole surviving child of Jackie and JFK, and was only five years old when her father was assassinated. She was largely raised in New York City after the Kennedy family's years in the White House, and graduated from Radcliffe College of Harvard University, and Columbia Law School. A notable attorney, philanthropist, and author, she also served as ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017, and ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024.
She has been married to Edwin Schlossberg since 1986, and they share three children, son Jack (born 1993), and daughters Rose (born 1988) and Tatiana (born 1990), who died at 35 in December 2025 after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
Jack Schlossberg (1993)
© Getty ImagesJack is the only grandson of JFK. He graduated from Yale in 2015, and from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School in 2022. In 2025, he attempted to follow in his family's political footsteps, running in the Democratic primary for New York's 12th Congressional District — a bid he ultimately lost.
John F. Kennedy Jr. (1960-1999)
© GettyJohn, affectionately called "John John" as a child, became the world's obsession when he was only three years old and was captured saluting his father's casket — a fascination that has remained even decades after his own untimely death. Known for his good looks and charm, after graduating from Brown University and passing the New York State Bar on his third try, John founded political magazine George in 1995. Following headline-making romances with Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Daryl Hannah, and Cindy Crawford, among others, he famously settled down with Calvin Klein publicist Carolyn Bessette in 1996. The couple, along with Carolyn's sister Lauren Bessette, tragically died on July 16, 1999 when a small plane piloted by John en route to Martha's Vineyard, and subsequently to his cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding in Hyannis Port, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Rosemary Kennedy (1918-2005)
© Getty ImagesRosemary was the third child of Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy, and lived a life largely defined by one of the first of a myriad of tragedies the Kennedy family famously faced. Having suffered from developmental delays as a child that later evolved into an occasionally violent temper as a teen, in 1941, she fell victim to a botched lobotomy ordered by her father, which left her incapacitated. She lived at the St. Coletta School for Exceptional Children in Jefferson, Wisconsin for decades, until she died at 86 in 2005.
Kathleen Kennedy (1920-1948)
© Getty ImagesKathleen, nicknamed Kick, was the fourth of Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy's children. While her father was Ambassador to the United Kingdom, she successfully debuted in London society. She later worked for the Red Cross in London during World War II, and became a journalist, writing for The Washington Times-Herald from London, as did her future sister-in-law Jackie. In 1944, she became Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington when she married William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington. She was widowed only four months later when he died during a battle with the Germans in Belgium. She subsequently began a relationship with Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, though they both died just four years later in a plane crash over France on May 13, 1948.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921-2001)
© Getty ImagesEunice was the fifth Kennedy child, born in July 1921. She famously founded the Special Olympics, which she created in 1968 as a way to honor her sister Rosemary, having been deeply affected by her mistreatment. Eunice worked for the Special War Problems Division of the U.S. State Department and as a secretary for the U.S. Executive Department, but spent much of her life dedicating herself to charity efforts. In 1953, she married Sargent Shriver (1915-2011), who was later U.S. Ambassador to France, and they had five children, Bobby (born 1954), Maria (born 1955), Timothy (born 1959), Mark (born 1964), and Anthony (born 1965).
Maria Shriver (1955)
© Getty ImagesMaria spent much of her childhood in Paris, where her father was stationed, before graduating from Georgetown University in 1977. She successfully pursued a career in TV journalism, working for The CBS Morning News, NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, and TODAY. In 1986, she married Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom she shares four children: Katherine Schwarzenegger (born 1989), who is married to Chris Pratt; Christina Schwarzenegger (born 1991); Patrick Schwarzenegger (born 1993); and Christopher Schwarzenegger (born 1997). Maria and Arnold split in 2011, after he admitted to welcoming a child with the family's nanny. The divorce was finalized in 2021.
Patricia Kennedy (1924-2006)
© Getty ImagesThe sixth of the Kennedy children, Patricia pursued her deep interest in the entertainment industry from her time at Rosemont College, where she studied directing and acting; she had hopes of becoming a movie producer, though it was a role scarcely available for women at the time. In 1954, she married English actor Peter Lawford (also a member of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack), with whom she welcomed four children, Christopher (1955-2018), Sydney (1956), Victoria (1958), and Robin (1961). The couple divorced in 1966. Patricia later became a thorough benefactor of the arts and culture in New York City, and died of pneumonia at 82, in New York City, on September 17, 2006.
Jean Kennedy (1928-2020)
© Getty ImagesJean was the youngest Kennedy daughter, and after graduating from Manhattanville College, she became a diplomat and progressive public servant. She also served as United States Ambassador to Ireland under Bill Clinton, during which she was instrumental in the handling of the Northern Ireland peace process, including the Good Friday agreement of 1998. In 1974, she founded the VSA Kennedy Center (previously Very Special Arts), a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a relationship between people with disabilities and the arts. She married executive Stephen E. Smith in 1956, and they welcomed four children, the youngest of whom are adopted: Stephen (born 1957), William (born 1960), Amanda (born 1967), and Kym (born 1972). In 1991, William stood trial and was later acquitted of rape. The last surviving and longest-lived of the nine Kennedy children, Jean died at 92 on June 17, 2020.
Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968)
© Getty ImagesThe seventh of the Kennedy children, Robert was incredibly close — both personally and professionally — with his brother John, becoming the manager of his successful Senate and presidential campaigns, and serving as attorney general during President Kennedy's administration. A liberal hero known for his anti-Vietnam War stance and as a champion of civil rights, Robert entered the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in March 1968, stepping up much like JFK had after the loss of their older brother, Joseph Jr. He challenged JFK's successor Lyndon B. Johnson, who announced he wouldn't seek reelection just two weeks later. Tragically, RFK was assassinated by 24-year-old Sirhan Sirhan while celebrating his California Democratic primary victory at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.
Ethel Kennedy (1928-2024)
© Getty ImagesEthel, born Ethel Skakel in Chicago in April 1928, was the last survivor of Camelot when she died at 96 in October 2024 from stroke complications. She married Robert Kennedy in 1950, and together they welcomed 11 children, Joseph II (born 1952), Kathleen (born 1953), Robert Jr. (born 1954), David (born 1955), Courtney (born 1956), Michael (born 1958), Kerry (born 1959), Christopher (born 1963), Max (born 1965), Douglas (born 1967), and Rory (born 1968). Ethel was pregnant with Rory when her husband Robert was assassinated, and she survived two of her children: David, who died of an overdose in 1984, and Michael, who died in a freak skiing accident in 1997. Though Ethel was largely private, following Jackie's death, she was known for taking her role as the Kennedy family matriarch very seriously, and continued championing liberal causes until her passing.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (1954)
© Getty ImagesThough in the early days of his legal career, Robert Jr. was known for his environmental advocacy, since 2005, he has been better known as an anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist, which have gained an even higher profile after joining Donald Trump's MAGA movement and becoming his U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. His controversial views have been challenged by many in his family as well as by the science and health community; both his sister Kerry and cousin Caroline have made public statements about his heavily disputed theories and beliefs. He has six children, sharing Robert "Bobby" Jr. III (born 1984) and Kathleen "Kick" (born 1988) with first wife Emily Ruth Black; and Conor (born 1994), Kyra (born 1995), William (born 1997) and Aidan (born 2001) with late second wife Mary Richardson, who died by suicide in 2012. He married actress Cheryl Hines in 2014.
Edward Kennedy (1932-2009)
© Getty ImagesThe youngest of the Kennedy children, "Ted" also had the longest political career of the family, serving for 47 years as a Democratic Senator representing Massachusetts. He was forever haunted, however, by an incident that also saw his presidential aspirations cut short. In 1969, after the assassinations of both of his brothers, he infamously crashed a car into a pond on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. He saved himself, while his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, then 28, was left behind and drowned. He was married from 1958 to 1982 to Joan Bennett, with whom he shared three children, Kara (1960-2011), Edward (born 1961), and Patrick II (born 1967). He married Victoria Reggie in 1992, and they remained married until his death in 2009 at 77 from a malignant brain tumor.
