Lee Radziwill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caroline Lee Bouvier
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| Princess Lee Radziwiłł | |
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Radziwill with Krishna Hutheesing in India in 1962
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| Born | Caroline Lee Bouvier March 3, 1933 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 15, 2019 (aged 85) New York City, U.S. |
| Buried | Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery |
| Noble family | Radziwiłł |
| Spouse(s) |
Michael Temple Canfield
(m. 1953; div. 1958)Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł
(m. 1959; div. 1974) |
| Issue | Prince Anthony Stanislaw Albert Radziwiłł Princess Anna Christina Radziwiłł |
| Father | John Vernou Bouvier III |
| Mother | Janet Lee Bouvier |
| Occupation |
Public relations executive, interior decorator
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Caroline Lee Bouvier (born March 3, 1933 – died February 15, 2019), known as Princess Lee Radziwill, was an American woman who worked in public relations and as an interior decorator. She was also known for being a socialite, meaning she was well-known in high society. Lee was the younger sister of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, who was the First Lady of the United States. This made Lee the sister-in-law of President John F. Kennedy. Lee Radziwill was married three times during her life.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Caroline Lee Bouvier was born in New York City. Her father was a stockbroker named John Vernou Bouvier III. Her mother was a socialite named Janet Norton Lee. From a young age, she was called "Lee" instead of Caroline. She went to several schools, including The Chapin School and Miss Porter's School. She also studied at Sarah Lawrence College.
Career and Public Life
In the 1960s, Lee Radziwill tried to become an actress. She starred in a play called The Philadelphia Story in 1967. She also appeared in a TV show based on the film Laura in 1968. However, her acting career was not very successful.
Later, Lee became known for her work as an interior decorator. She had a talent for making homes look beautiful and stylish. Her homes in London were decorated by a famous Italian designer, Lorenzo Mongiardino. These homes were often photographed and admired. Lee worked for wealthy clients, decorating their houses. She also spent time with many famous people, including traveling with the band The Rolling Stones on their 1972 tour.
Lee Radziwill was recognized for her fashion sense. She was added to the Vanity Fair International Best Dressed Hall of Fame in 1996. Her apartments in Paris and Manhattan were featured in Elle Décor magazine in 2009. In 2013, she was listed as one of the 50 best-dressed people over 50 by The Guardian newspaper.
Grey Gardens Documentary
In 1972, Lee Radziwill hired filmmakers Albert and David Maysles. She wanted them to make a film about her family. During this project, the filmmakers met two of Lee's relatives: her aunt, Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale, and her cousin, Edith Bouvier Beale. These two women, known as "Big Edie" and "Little Edie," lived in a very old and run-down house in East Hampton.
Lee Radziwill's original film project was not finished. However, the Maysles brothers were very interested in the unique lives of Big Edie and Little Edie. They decided to film more footage of them on their own. This led to the famous 1975 documentary film called Grey Gardens. The film is named after the Beales' home. It is considered a classic documentary. Later, a musical and an HBO movie were also made about the Beales' lives.
The original footage from 1972, which showed Lee Radziwill visiting her relatives, was released in 2017 as a film called That Summer.
Personal Life
Lee Radziwill was married three times. Her first marriage was in 1953 to Michael Temple Canfield, who worked in publishing. They divorced in 1958.
Her second marriage was in 1959 to Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł. He was a Polish aristocrat. When they married, she became known as Princess Caroline Lee Radziwiłł. They had two children together: Anthony (born 1959) and Christina (born 1960). This marriage ended in divorce in 1974.
In 1988, Lee married for a third time to American film director Herbert Ross. They divorced shortly before his death in 2001. After this, she returned to using the name Radziwill.
Lee Radziwill passed away on February 15, 2019, at the age of 85. She died in her apartment in Manhattan. Half of her ashes are buried in the Bouvier family plot in East Hampton, New York. The other half will be scattered in the Mediterranean Sea, as she wished.
Books
- Radziwill, Lee (2001). Happy Times. New York: Assouline.
- Radziwill, Lee (2015). Lee. New York: Assouline.
See also
In Spanish: Lee Radziwill para niños
