There was no aristocracy in the USA, so the maidens from the elite dreamed of marrying a noble from Europe. One of them was Jackie Kennedy's younger sister, Lee Bouvier.
When Lee Radziwiłł died in February 2019, obituaries appeared in almost all American newspapers and magazines (including the New York Times and Vogue). They said that Lee had been in the shadow of her more famous sister all her life. Jackie was the style icon, the first lady and wife of the fabulously wealthy Onassis, whom she had stolen from her younger sister. Lee only overtook her on one thing - she managed to marry a real prince .
Prestige of the Old World
Lee and Stanisław met in the fall of 1956 in London with mutual friends who invited them for the weekend. She was then the unhappy wife of Michael Canfield, the son of the owner of Harper &Row. Her husband was abusing alcohol. In addition, she married him not out of love, but in order to escape from her toxic mother. Radziwiłł was also married at the time. Years later, Lee recalled their first meeting as follows:
Stas was so thoughtful, so serious (...). Me, absolutely terrified. I didn't say a word to him all weekend , but later our hostess made charades games and dressed him up in one of her old petticoats. He wasn't so serious then. A dignified masculine silhouette in all those pink lace frills (...). I found she has a wonderful sense of humor and a great sense of absurdity.
There was only one thing that Lee had overtaken Jackie - she managed to marry a real prince.
After this weekend, couples began to spend more and more time together. As Diana DuBois, the biographer of Lee Radziwiłł writes, Stanisław was "worldly superior" to Michael. Besides, " had the authority and prestige of the Old World to offer (...). Such heritage was reflected in Staś's striking appearance and attitude (…) ”.
Prince Charming
Stanisław was 19 years older than Lee. His grandfather, Ferdynand, was a member of the German Reichstag, and his father, Janusz, headed the Polish Conservative Party after the First World War. He himself graduated from the Catholic University of Friborg, and then was appointed deputy voivode of Stanisławów. In 1946 - penniless - he fled to London after the establishment of the people's government in Poland. In the capital of England, he became acquainted with the largest tycoon in the real estate industry, under the influence of which he started doing business in this field.
Stanisław was 19 years older than Lee.
After some time, Lee and Staś began an affair. As Diana Dubois writes:“Staś Radziwiłł was different from everyone she had ever known (…). He was older (...), he also had a good name (...). Stas' generosity and decency also made a good impression on Lee. " English aristocrats also expressed their superlatives about him. Lady Elizabeth Ampthill said:"Even having lost everything, many of these aristocratic Russian and Polish emigrants retained a certain nobility and the ability to amuse themselves." And she added that Staś was "filled" with joy.
Two divorces and a wedding
Soon Radziwiłł realized that he wanted something more than a romance. He decided to marry his mistress. Lee, too, did not want to be stuck in a barren marriage any longer. She realized this when she flew to her sister in the USA in 1957 for the christening of her niece, Caroline. She felt the desire to have a child and wanted Stanisław to be his father. After returning to London, the two began divorce proceedings. A particularly unfavorable eye was on Lee, who broke an unwritten rule in London society:you can sleep with someone else's husband, but you shouldn't beat him up. During the trial, Lee discovered she was pregnant. She began to urge Stas to marry. Ultimately, on March 6, 1959, the Pole divorced his wife, and he married Lee on the 19th during an intimate ceremony.
Willing his child to be born in their own home, Radziwiłł purchased a residence at 4 Buckingham Place in London. The initial period of their marriage - as Lee recalled - was the happiest in her entire life. The couple's friend, David Metcalf, also said that the spouses were very close. Their son Antoni was born to them in August (later his name was changed to Anthony) . Staś wanted a second child to quickly appear in the family and his wife was pregnant again 6 months after giving birth - with Anna Christina (Tina) .
Lee and Staś were in the USA during the presidential election. John Kennedy engaged Radziwiłł in his campaign. Stanisław's task was to deliver speeches in front of the Polish electorate. He managed to convince Kennedy voters in a shaky state of Illinois. After the win, JFK Jackie presented her brother-in-law with a hand-made drawing depicting a map of the USA with his outline traversing the country and the inscription:"You really did it, Staś" .
Beginning of end
The birth of a daughter caused a serious crisis in the Radziwiłł marriage. Tina was born in the US in August 1960 - three months too soon. She spent four months in the incubator. Doctors gave her little chance of survival. The girl weighed just over a kilo. Her parents could not take her home - to London - until before Christmas. Though happy, Lee resented her husband for making her pregnant so quickly. In her opinion, this is what caused the premature birth. Also, at a time when she suffered from postpartum depression, her husband was busy with Kennedy's campaign.
Radziwiłł and Kennedy during Christmas 1962. Soon the family happiness of both marriages was about to fail.
Lee felt deeply hurt by her husband's behavior, but she refused to divorce again. Stas also did not intend to part with his wife, whom he loved very much. However, their marriage practically fell apart. The woman was unable to overcome her aversion to Stanisław and in the mid-1960s the spouses began to lead separate lives. Lee had lovers. In the spring of 1973, the couple finally filed for divorce. Jackie tried to convince her sister to change her mind because she liked the company of her brother-in-law. However, Lee remained adamant. She later married a third time, but was so unhappy with the relationship that she refused to talk about it.
In 1976, Stanisław died of a heart attack. A few years before his death, Lee said of him:"It was a great time. I consider the time of my marriage with Staś the happiest time in my life. I guess it was love after all. There were infatuations and even more loves in my life, but only with Staś did I feel such joy in life. "
Sources:
- DuBois D., Lee Radziwiłł. In my sister's shadow, Warsaw 1997.
- Codinha A. Lee Radziwill Is Dead at 85 , Vogue.com (access:12/1/2021).
- Haslam N., The Real Lee Radziwill , T Magazine, New York Times (access:12/1/2021).