On October 20, 1968, Jacqueline Kennedy, widely recognized as the former First Lady of the United States and the widow of President John F. Kennedy, married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. The wedding ceremony took place in a small Greek Orthodox chapel on Onassis’ private island of Skorpios. This event shocked a world still grieving the loss of JFK and captivated journalists eager for every detail.
It was, by all accounts, the wedding of the decade. And it was deeply controversial.
From Camelot to Skorpios
Just five years earlier, Jackie Kennedy had walked behind her husband’s coffin during a funeral that was watched by millions. She had become an enduring symbol of grace under pressure, a modern-day queen of America’s brief “Camelot.” However, the years that followed were filled with intense grief, relentless media scrutiny, and the challenge of raising two young children on her own. Aristotle Onassis presented her with something few others could: an escape.
He was a billionaire known for yachts, charm, and scandal. Their connection began years earlier but deepened in the mid-1960s. By 1968, Jackie was increasingly weary of life in the public spotlight. In marrying Onassis, she sought privacy, protection, and peace.
The Ceremony
The wedding took place at 4 p.m. on October 20, 1968, on Skorpios, an Ionian Island, on which Onassis had turned his personal paradise. The ceremony was simple and intimate, held in a chapel surrounded by cypress trees. Jackie, then 39, was radiant but serious. Onassis, 62, was stoic. Reporters were kept at a distance, and only a select few family members and close friends were allowed to attend. Her sister, Princess Lee Radziwill, and her husband, Prince Stanislaus Radziwill, were among the guests.
Jackie issued a rare public statement the day before: “Wish us happiness and peace,” she said. She pleaded for privacy, reminding the press that even public figures carry “the emotions of a simple person” during life’s most intimate moments.
A Mixed Reaction
Back in the United States, the news went wild. The widow of America’s martyred president had married a foreign tycoon, one who had long drawn headlines for his flamboyant lifestyle and business dealings.
The American people were deeply divided over Jackie’s decision. Headlines referred to her as “Jackie O,” a mix of fascination and disdain. Some accused her of marrying for money or abandoning her role as a national icon, while others defended her right to happiness.
The Vatican condemned the union due to Onassis’s prior divorce. Political allies of the Kennedys were stunned. Even within the Kennedy family, the marriage caused strain.
But Jackie didn’t flinch. She had spent years serving a role she hadn’t chosen. Now, she was choosing for herself.
A New Chapter
Jackie’s marriage to Onassis lasted until he died in 1975. After his passing, she quietly reentered American life and eventually built a respected career as a book editor.