Ethel Kennedy's 11 Children: All About the Late Kennedy Matriarch's Sons and Daughters

Mar. 15, 2025

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Born in Chicago, Ethel,who died on Oct. 10 at age 96, married Robert Sr. in 1950. Between 1951 and 1968, the couple welcomed their seven sons and four daughters, the youngest of whom was born after Robert’s assassination in 1968.

Over the years, Ethel campaigned for members of the Kennedy family as they launched their political careers while also raising the children she and Robert shared. She also founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights after her husband’s death to continue his work.

AfterEthel suffered a stroke in early October 2024, it was her daughter Kerry who announced the news of the Kennedy matriarch’s death on Oct. 10. “It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother,” she wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). “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.”

Here is a look at Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy’s 11 children: Kathleen, Joseph, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory.

Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend, 73

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Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsendwas born on July 4, 1951, in Greenwich, Conn, and is the oldest daughter of Ethel and Robert. She was known for being a strong equestrian until she was thrown from her horse at the age of 14.TheNew York Timesreported that the injury took place while her family was sailing, and her parents and uncleEdward “Ted” M. Kennedyrushed to the hospital after reaching land.

Kathleen was 16 when her father was assassinated, and to date, she has not spoken frequently about his death. She attended Radcliffe College, where she met her husbandDavid Lee Townsend, before getting her law degree at the University of New Mexico. The couple have four children:Meaghan,Maeve, Rose and Kerry.

After graduation, Kathleen began working at a law firm in New Haven, Conn. The family eventually moved to Maryland, where she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in a majority Republican district and subsequently became the first Kennedy to lose a general election in 1986.

In 1994, Parris Glendening picked Kathleen as his running mate in the Maryland gubernatorial race. The pair won their election, making Kathleen the lieutenant governor. She lost her own gubernatorial race in 2002.

In 2007, she published the bookFailing America’s Faithful: How Today’s Churches Are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way.She has since taught at Georgetown and Harvard universities.

Joseph Patrick Kennedy II, 72

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Joseph Patrick Kennedy IIwas born in Boston on Sept. 24, 1952, and was named after his grandfather. He enrolled at Milton Academy following his father’s death and eventually graduated from Manter Hall School. In 1976, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston. He founded the nonprofitCitizens Energyin 1979, only leaving the company after he was elected to the House for the 8th district of Massachusetts in 1986.

He marriedSheila Rauchin February 1979, and the pair welcomed their twin sons, Matt andJoseph “Joe” III, the following year. They divorced in 1991. He married Anne Elizabeth Kelly in 1993.

Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., 71

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

His career was halted in 1980 after he was arrested in South Dakota for heroin possession,TheNew York Timesreported. He was sentenced to community service at the nonprofit Riverkeeper, and he was hired as the organization’s attorney in 1985.

RFK Jr. is widely known for promoting anti-vaccine and public health-relatedconspiracy theories. In 2023, he declared his intent to run forpresident of the United Statesin 2024, though has since dropped out of the race and endorsed the Republican candidate, former PresidentDonald Trump.

In 2014, he married actressCheryl Hines.

David Anthony Kennedy

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David Anthony Kennedywas born on June 15, 1955. David was 13 years old when his father was assassinated.

Robert’s death severely impacted David. He died of an overdose on April 25, 1984, having recently dropped out of Harvard and gone through treatment for heroin and alcohol addiction, according toTheNew York Times.

Mary Courtney Kennedy Hill, 68

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Mary Courtney Kennedy Hill, known as Courtney, was born on Sept. 9, 1956. She was 11 when her father died, and her husband, Paul Hill, later toldTheNew York Timesthat it was difficult for Courtney and her siblings to escape his tragic death. “They’ll go to a party or event and 20 times in the course of an evening, some stranger will come up to them and say, ‘I remember the day your father died,’ ” he said.

Courtney and Paul married in 1993 and welcomed their daughter,Saoirse Roisin, in 1997. Saoirsedied of an accidental drug overdosein 2019.

Michael LeMoyne Kennedy

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Michael LeMoyne Kennedywas born on Feb. 27, 1958, in Washington, D.C. He was 10 years old when his father was killed.

Michael graduated from Harvard in 1980 and the University of Virginia School of Law in 1984, after which he began working as a lawyer at a private firm. He marriedVictoria Denise Giffordin March 1981, and the couple had three children: son Michael Jr. and daughters Kyle Francis and Rory Gifford.

Michael died on Dec. 31, 1997, in a skiing accident while on a family trip.TheWashington Postreported that Michael sustained head and neck injuries after hitting a tree in Aspen, Colo.

Mary Kerry Kennedy, 65

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Kerry began working as a human rights activist in 1981 when she joined Amnesty International as an intern. Over the years, she has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations in the field and is currently president of the nonprofitRobert F. Kennedy Human Rights, which her mother founded. She has also earned a number of awards from organizations such as Save the Children and International AIDS Trust.

Kerry married future New York Gov.Andrew Cuomoin 1990. They welcomed three daughters — Cara, Maria and Michaela — beforedivorcing in 2005.

Christopher George Kennedy, 61

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Christopher George Kennedywas born in Boston on July 4, 1963. He shares a birthday with his sister Kathleen. He graduated from Boston College in 1986 and from Northwestern University in 1994.

Christopher met Sheila Sinclair Berner while still a student at Boston College and the two married in 1987. They have four children: Katherine Berner, Christopher Jr., Sarah Louise and Clare Elizabeth.

Over the years Christopher has worked in both politics and business. He worked for his uncle Ted Kennedy’s 1980 presidential campaign. According toForbes, like many of his siblings, Christopher has been closely involved with many nonprofit organizations and civic organizations, and he is chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, an investment firm.

Matthew Maxwell Taylor “Max” Kennedy, 60

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Max was only 3 years old when his father was killed. He graduated from Harvard and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Max made waves on his first day working as a prosecutor in Philadelphia when he chased down a mugger on foot. In the years that followed, he worked primarily in politics, campaigning for his uncle Ted in 2000 and for future PresidentBarack Obamain 2008.

Max married his wife,Victoria Anne Strauss, in July 1991, and they have three children:Matthew Maxwell Jr., Caroline Summer and Noah Isabella.

Douglas Harriman Kennedy, 57

Douglas Harriman Kennedywas born on March 24, 1967, in Washington, D.C., one year before his father was killed.

Unlike many members of his family, who have gone into politics or law, Douglas began a career as a journalist when he graduated college. He joinedFox Newsin 1996 to host his own program,Douglas Kennedy’s American Stories.

Douglas married his wife Molly Stark in 1998 and the pair have five children: Riley Elizabeth, Mary McCauley, Rowen Francis, George Skakel and Anthony Boru.

Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy, 56

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As the youngest member of the family,Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedywas born in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 12, 1968, six months after her father died. She is a documentary filmmaker whose work has premiered at the Tribeca, Sundance and Woodstock film festivals.

Rory was especially close to her brother Michael, who was also her godfather; theLos Angeles Timesreported that the pair spoke nearly every day until Michael’s death.

Rory married her husband, fellow filmmaker Mark Bailey, in August 1999. Their wedding was originally planned for July but was postponed after her cousinJohn F. Kennedy Jr.and his wife,Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, were killed in a plane crash on their way to attend the wedding. Rory and her husband went on to have three children: Georgia Elizabeth, Bridget Katherine and Zachary Corkland.

source: people.com