Biography: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Onassis Years

In 1968, Jackie married a Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. One good thing about the Onassis marriage was he had lots of private space, so he could provide the privacy, Jackie sought for herself and her children to enjoy. The wedding took place on Onassis's private island of Skorpios. The island is located in the Ionian Sea in Greece.

The couple were introduced to each other in 1955 but had remained friends as both of them were in marriages. 

Onassis was invited by Jackie to her husband's funeral. He was one of the first people to send her condolance wishes and they soon became good friends. Soon enough their relationship turned serious and they became engaged. The Kennedy family weren't impressed by her choice of suitor but Jackie made a promise. 

At the same time, Robert F. Kennedy (better known as Bobby) was campaigning for the Presidency and he didn't get on well with Mr Onassis. Jackie and Aristotle (better known as Ari) kept their engagement secret and promised not to announce it until after Bobby was President. 

However when Bobby died in June 1968, Jackie married Onassis in October that same year. 

Following her marriage, Jackie lost her right to Secret Service protection and her franking privilege, both of which are entitlements to the widow of a U.S President. The marriage brought her considerable adverse publicity, and she became the target of the paparazzi who named her 'Jackie O'.

During her marriage to Onassis, they inhabited six different homes. Jackie had her New York apartment and her horse-farm in Maryland where weekends would often be spent with her children. Mr Onassis, had an apartment on Avenue Foch in Paris, his private island of Skorpios, a full compound in Athens (known as Glyfada. No longer exists today) and his 325ft motor yacht, The Christina.

When Mr. Onassis died in 1975, she became a widow a second time.