Over the course of more than 20 years, Jackie Kennedy has been remembered as a First Lady, a history and culture preservationist, and a fashion icon. But one epitaph we sometimes neglect to remember is her quiet resilience as a mother to Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr. The 35th First Lady of the United States was thrust into the public eye in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s as the wife of an up-and-coming politician, John F. Kennedy, who would go on to become the 35th President of the United States.
During her time as First Lady and after her husband’s assassination, Jackie Kennedy was completely devoted to raising the couple’s two children. Throughout their time in the White House, the Kennedys made a number of idyllic memories, a number of which were captured by photographers. There were some incredibly happy times, including family holidays, while also times of great loss and grief (including the couple’s loss of their third child, Patrick, at only two days old).
But in the Kennedy White House, known as the mythical age of Camelot, and beyond, Jackie Kennedy’s role as a mother and her motherhood played out in the public eye. Over the course of several years, some of the most touching photos of Jackie were captured, and with this slideshow, we’ve gathered some of the very best with her children.
Take a look at these archival images, chronicling years from Jackie Kennedy and her children’s lives.
A version of this article was originally published in July 2021.
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Kennedy Family Photo-Op
Image Credit: Everett Collection At Hammersmith Farm, Rhode Island, the proud parents held their children for yet another adorable Kennedy family photo-op.
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Horseback Riding in Ireland
Image Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images During their holiday in Ireland in 1967, Jackie took her children horseback riding, which is an activity all of them adored.
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Intimate Moments Before Bed
Image Credit: John F. Kennedy Library/John F. Kennedy Library/Getty Images This snapshot from 1962 shows the super-sweet relationship between Jackie and her children, Caroline and John Jr.
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Horseback Riding Mother-Daughter Duo
Image Credit: John F. Kennedy Library/John F. Kennedy Library/Getty Images Caroline Kennedy adored riding her pony named Macaroni, which is a hobby she clearly took after from her horseback riding mother.
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Horseback Riding as a Family
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive via Getty Images They were also photographed riding together, like in this picture of Jackie holding on to John and Caroline right beside her.
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Vail Vacation
Image Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images The family would go on a lot of vacations together, including this one where they skied and shopped in Vail.
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Boots Are Made Snowin’
Image Credit: Carl Iwasaki/Getty Images They also skied together in 1964, as seen in this sweet pic of Jackie adjusting John’s snow boots.
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Teaching Them Her Ways
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive In this sweet pic, Jackie is seen teaching John how to ski.
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Twinning Kids
Image Credit: Everett Collection Honestly, their kids looked like twins in this adorable family photo taken at their family home in Hyannis Port, Mass.
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Dog Family
Image Credit: Everett Collection Everyone in the Kennedy family adored their family dogs. Over time, they had dogs like Charlie, a Welsh Terrier; a dog named Pushinka, their puppies; Clipper, a German Shepherd; and more.
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Proud Mother Watching Caroline
Image Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images Jackie was beaming with pride when Caroline Kennedy christened the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy on May 27, 1967.
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White House Was Their Happy Place
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jackie Kennedy remarked that the time in the White House with her husband and their children was “the happiest time.”
Per JFK Library, she said: “It was really the happiest time of my life. It was when we were the closest– I didn’t realize the physical closeness of having his office . . . in the same building and seeing him so many times a day.”
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Jackie Walks Caroline To School
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Jackie Kennedy, in a white, short-sleeved jacket, walks daughter Caroline down the sidewalk near Central Park in New York on her way to school.
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Reading Time
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive via Getty Images In this shot, Jackie is a mom like any other, reading a book to Caroline to keep her entertained.
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Paying a School Visit
Image Credit: John F. Kennedy Library/John F. Kennedy Library/Getty Images In 1962, Jackie and her daughter had this sweet moment when she visited her daughter’s school for the day. Nothing is more fun than messing with your mom’s hair, right?
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Jackie, John & Caroline Attend The Funeral For Robert F. Kennedy
Image Credit: Ω Penske Media Jackie Kennedy with her daughter Caroline and son John Jr. at the funeral for Robert F. Kennedy in New York, June 1968.
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