Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
Ancestors 
Daughter of Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.
and Rose Elizabeth (Fitzgerald) Kennedy
Sister of
Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr., John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Rose Marie Kennedy, Eunice Mary (Kennedy) Shriver, Patricia (Kennedy) Lawford, Robert Francis Kennedy, Jean Ann (Kennedy) Smith and Edward Moore Kennedy
Wife of
William John Robert Cavendish
— married
6 May 1944 in London, England
Died
at age 28
in Plane crash in France
Profile last modified
| Created 26 May 2011
This page has been accessed 5,920 times.
| Kathleen (Kennedy) Cavendish was a member of aristocracy in Europe. Join: European Royals and Aristocrats Project Discuss: euroaristo |
Contents |
Biography
Kathleen Agnes Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington was an American socialite. She was the fourth child and second daughter of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald. (Sister to President John F Kennedy)
- Born: February 20, 1920, Brookline, MA
- Died: May 13, 1948, Saint-Bauzile, Ardèche, France
- Spouse: Billy Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington (m. 1944–1944)
- Buried: St Peter's Church, Edensor, United Kingdom
- Siblings: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, More
- Parents: Rose Fitzgerald, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Kathleen was Marchioness Of Hartington, [1]
Marriage
when Kathleen came to London with her father, she met a wealthy, titled aristocrat. He was William Cavendish, the Marquess of Hartington — the powerful 10th Duke of Devonshire's son and heir not only to the title, but to the palatial Chatsworth House estate, among other rich properties. He was such a catch that the British royal family apparently had their eye on him for their own Princess Elizabeth, the future queen.
Kathleen, nicknamed "Kick," married Billy, as he was called, when she was 24, on May 6, 1944. A World War II romance, they were very much in love-despite their different faiths, which raised great conflict within their families: His family, for hundreds of generations, was very much Church of England, and hers was devout Roman Catholic. In fact, Rose Kennedy noted that she was "disturbed, horrified, heartbroken" that her daughter Kathleen had married a Protestant — and in a civil ceremony at that (Kathleen's brother, Joseph, was the only family member to attend). Rose didn't have contact with her for nearly two months after the wedding.
Death
- Cause of death: Kathleen was killed in a plane crash caused by a violent storm, while flying from Paris to the French Riviera in a small private plane with her married English boyfriend, the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam.
- Inscription:
In Loving Memory of KATHLEEN (1920 - 1948)
Widow of Major The Marquess of Hartington Killed in Action & Daughter of The Hon. Joseph Kennedy Sometime Ambassador of the United States to Great Britain. Joy She Gave Joy She Has Found.
- FindAGrave: Kathleen Kennedy: Memorial ID:3491
Burial
Today, visitors can see the tiny Protestant churchyard in the charming village where Kathleen is buried in the Cavendish family plot, with a plaque by her gravestone noting the June 1963 visit of JFK just months before his own death. And, about a mile away, is Chatsworth House, the gorgeous 297-room estate where, prior to her marriage, Kathleen had celebrated her 24th birthday. [2]
Sources
Footnotes
- ↑ Entered by Gilly Wood, Sunday, September 8, 2013.
- ↑ Creators.com: The Unknown Kennedy and England's Chatsworth House
| Source: Burke's Presidential Families. |
| Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Presidential Families of the United States of America. London: Burke's Peerage, 1981. Print. |
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DNA
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Rejected matches › Kathleen (Ward) Kennedy (aft.1920-) › Kathleen Estelle (Kennedy) Noble (1928-2001)
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K > Kennedy | C > Cavendish > Kathleen Agnes (Kennedy) Cavendish
Categories: Siblings of US Presidents | St Peter's Churchyard, Edensor, Derbyshire
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