From inspiring a handbag to being friends with Mick Jagger: Lee Radziwill didn't live in her sister's shadow.

Whether it was her <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/ann-lowe-jackie-kennedy-forgotten-black-fashion-designer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">famous&nbsp;fashion choices</a>, her social status, or the publicized assassination of her presidential husband, <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/woman/the-looks-of-the-first-lady-from-jackie-to-michelle-obama-from-melania-trump-to-jill-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackie Kennedy Onassis</a> has become a household name. Her younger sister, Lee Radziwill (n&eacute;e Caroline Lee Bouvier, b. 1933), on the other hand, is often less talked about. But Radziwill's life was far from uneventful&mdash;as children, she and her sister had a privileged and publicized upbringing due to their parents, stockbroker John Vernou Bouvier III and socialite Janet Lee Bouvier. Radziwill would come to have a jet-setting lifestyle, a long list of celebrity best friends and fans, three very public marriages, a princess title, and a fashion sense that made it all the way to the White House.&nbsp;
Kennedy and Radziwill often made headlines for their "sibling rivalry," which included shared romantic interests and competing style. But Radziwill told <a href="https://people.com/archive/cover-story-jackies-shadow-vol-6-no-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a> there was only ever friendly competition between the sisters.&nbsp;"We&rsquo;re exceptionally close and always have been. We&rsquo;re together very often. In fact, endlessly."&nbsp;
From New York to Paris, Radziwill&nbsp;was a staple in society, with a legacy to match (and enough stories to fill two autobiographical books, Happy Times&nbsp;and Lee). When she died in 2019, her funeral was attended by many, including icons in the fashion industry like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cruise-2021-collection-balmain-dior-saint-laurent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carolina Herrera</a>, Marc Jacobs, and <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/beauty/sofia-coppola-style-from-the-90-is-still-everything-and-stylishi-copy-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sofia Coppola</a>. On Radziwill's birthday, discover seven key things to know about the American aristocrat.

lee-radziwill-style-white-pants.jpg

Kennedy wasn&rsquo;t the only sister with an impact on the fashion world. Radziwill was a muse for well-known designers like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/marc-jacobs-runway-show-spring-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Jacobs</a>, and she even inspired <a href="https://www.toryburch.com/lee-radziwill-double-bag/61882.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4feBBhC9ARIsABp_nbXDFZcoUOUEHARM3bd3hbMuVIZ0VJ3LZ95WEVbedO2YGnhCvl5l8oYaAsyKEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Tory Burch purse</a>.&nbsp;Later in her life, Radziwill became the&nbsp;director of special events for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/giorgio-armani-60-milion-yatcht-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Giorgio Armani</a>&nbsp;and wore the Italian designer everywhere, from her 1988 wedding to Herbert Ross to fashion events in New York, Los Angeles, and Milan.

2. She was Jackie&rsquo;s unofficial stylist in the White House.

lee-radziwill-jackie-kennedy2.jpg

Kennedy famously popularized&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/michelle-obama-fashion-independent-american-designers" target="_blank">First Lady fashion</a>, but the woman behind those choices was often her sister. In fact, Radziwill is the one who advised Kennedy to be more experimental with her fashion choices. When Kennedy was told to only represent American stylists as First Lady, Lee helped her get access to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/shop-matthew-williams-first-givenchy-collection-teaser" target="_blank">Givenchy</a> and other <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/mens-milan-fashion-week-fall-2021-fendi-prada" target="_blank">European</a> fashions.

3. Her second husband was royalty.

lee-prince-radziwill.jpg

Lee married aristocrat and prince Stanislaw Radziwill, a Polish count, in 1959. Radziwill might have given up his royal title to become a British Citizen after World War II, but Lee always held onto the title of Princess. The couple had two children together.&nbsp;

4. She had an array of celebrity friends.

lee-radziwill-capote.jpg

Radziwill&nbsp;ran in a socialite circle, which included friends like&nbsp;film director Sofia Coppola, famed author Truman Capote, acclaimed artist <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/andy-warhol-creator-american-dream-remembering" target="_blank">Andy Warhol</a>, and more. Radziwill appeared on the cover of Warhol&#39;s magazine Interview, and was a favorite of Capote, who called her &quot;Principessa&quot; and was quoted <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/04/jackie-kennedy-lee-radziwill-sisterhood" target="_blank">saying</a>,&nbsp;&quot;I can&#39;t think of any woman&nbsp;more&nbsp;feminine than Lee Radziwill&mdash;not even Audrey Hepburn.&quot;

5. At Truman Capote&rsquo;s advice, Radziwill had a brief, controversial (yet&nbsp;stylish) acting career.

lee-radziwill-acting-career.jpg

Capote encouraged Radziwill to try acting. She appeared in some TV productions and an off-Broadway production of The Philadelphia Story. Apparently, Capote's dream wasn't realized&mdash;Radziwill's stage debut <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-ae-lee-radziwell-chicago-jones-0224-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wasn't all that great</a>. But, in true&nbsp;Radziwill fashion, the production&nbsp;was a stylish moment, as designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/who-is-mounia-model-yves-saint-laurent-haute-couture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yves Saint Laurent</a> was brought in to design the costumes.

6. She had dated her sister&#39;s second husband, Aristotle Onassis.

jackie-aristotle-onassis-wedding.jpg

After the assassination of JFK in 1963, Radziwill stayed at her sister&rsquo;s side. In 1968, Kennedy remarried the wealthy Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who had dated Radziwill years before.

7. She was close with the Rolling Stones.

lee-radziwill-bianca-mick-jagger.jpg

Lee&#39;s celebrity connections weren&#39;t only famous authors, designers, and actors. After her divorce from Radziwill, Lee&nbsp;accompanied&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/rock-star-supermodel-couples-david-bowie-iman-jerry-hall-mick-jagger" target="_blank">Rolling Stones</a> on their 1972 &ldquo;Exile on Main Street&rdquo; tour, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/04/jackie-kennedy-lee-radziwill-sisterhood" target="_blank">even reportedly hosted&nbsp;Mick Jagger</a> at her Montauk house when he was in the U.S.

7 Things You Should Know About Jackie Kennedy Onassis' Socialite Sister Lee Radziwill

Tags

Related Articles

Politics & Culture

See the Elegant and Classic Style of Jill Biden, the Future First Lady of the U.S.

Fashion

12 Times Michelle Obama Championed Independent American Designers

Fashion

Remembering Ann Lowe, the Black Fashion Designer Who Made Jackie Kennedy's Wedding Dress

Recommended posts for you

Beauty

Rhode's Cinnamon Roll Lip Tint Is Finally Here

Fashion

These Timeless Luxury Accessories Were Made to Cherish for a Lifetime

Beauty

The Evolution of Rocker Hair

Fashion

Louis Vuitton Re-Opens in NYC With Five-Floor Extravaganza

Music

Tate McRae Announces 2025 Tour, Drops New Single

Fashion

Dior's Lady Art Project Returns With Stunning Artist-Made Bags

Pop culture

20 Rare Photos of Young King Charles III: A Look at His Earlier Life

Fashion

Skims Teams Up With Dolce & Gabbana for a Luxurious Collaboration