Lee Radziwill, Tastemaker With East End Connections, Dies At 85 - 27 East

Lee Radziwill, Tastemaker With East End Connections, Dies At 85

icon 2 Photos

authorCailin Riley on Feb 19, 2019

Lee Radziwill, a fashion icon who ran with a high-society crowd and spent summers during her formative years at her parents’ East Hampton estate alongside her famous older sister, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, died on February 15. She was 85.Ms. Radziwill was considered beautiful, elegant, timelessly stylish and chic, cultured, and sophisticated. She had friendships and relationships with world-renowned artists and taste-makers, including Truman Capote, Andy Warhol and the photographer Peter Beard.

Ms. Radziwill was married three times, keeping the name of her second husband, Polish aristocrat Stanislas Radziwill, after the dissolution of her third marriage. She had brief careers in acting and interior design, and worked in public relations for Giorgio Armani from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.

Born Caroline Lee Bouvier in March 1933, she was four years younger than sister Jacqueline, who would go on to become first lady after marrying John F. Kennedy. The Bouvier family spent summers at their sprawling Lasata estate on Further Lane, and Ms. Radziwill maintained ties to the East End for most of her life, owning a home in East Hampton in her later years.

She spent time in Montauk in the 1970s, between her second and third marriages, briefly dating Mr. Beard. There were plans to put together a movie about her summer memories spent in the area at that time, but brothers Albert and David Maysles, the legendary documentary filmmakers, instead chose to turn the lens on Ms. Radziwill’s cousins, mother and daughter of the same name, Edith Bouvier Beale (known and Big Edie and Little Edie), in what became “Grey Gardens,” about their offbeat and reclusive life inside a filthy, rundown and overrun East Hampton mansion.

In many ways, fair or not, Ms. Radziwill was defined by her relationship with her sister. The pair traveled the world together, from the time they were teens and into their later years. Ms. Radziwill introduced her sister to Aristotle Onassis, the wealthy Greek businessman she would ultimately marry after her husband was assassinated in 1963.

Ms. Radziwill was by her sister’s side at John F. Kennedy’s funeral, and visited the White House many times during his presidency, but there were also reports that the relationship between the sisters had its ups and downs.

Ms. Radziwill had two children with her second husband: Anna Christina Radziwill, who survives, and son Anthony Radziwill, who died in 1999.

You May Also Like:

Beachcomber, July 17

I thought I might ease into the social season, but having arrived so late, I ... 14 Jul 2025 by Alex Littlefield

Move It Back

I am writing in opposition to Joan Tutt’s endorsement of S-8731, which would keep the windmill locked away on the campus of Stony Brook Southampton [“Windmill News,” Letters, June 26]. There are many reasons for its return to the village where it was built on Windmill Lane. It served as an economic resource for local farmers to mill corn and wheat. The mill was then relocated to its present site to continue commercial milling operations. Several other commercial enterprises used it until the 1898 construction of Grosvenor Atterbury’s home for the Claflin family, where it was then used as a ... by Staff Writer

Southampton Artists To Host 25th Annual Show in Agawam

The Southampton Artists Association will hold its 25th annual “Art in the Park” in Agawam Park in Southampton Village on Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. “There truly is something for everyone at this fine art show. It is a great time to come to the village, stroll in our park and check out the village restaurants,” noted the group’s president, Danielle Leef, in a press release. The exhibition will highlight works from more than 50 artists, whose work ranges from paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolors and pastels, and photography, which ... by Staff Writer

Finger Pointing

Democrats appear oblivious to a national debt challenge that has become too serious to ignore. The COVID epidemic triggered massive relief spending, and then the Biden administration added trillions more, supposedly for infrastructure and inflation reduction, that turned out to be buckets of borrowed money used poorly. We have developed spending habits that we can no longer afford. The Trump approach at first hoped to find obvious waste, fraud and abuse, but DOGE, unfortunately, could not cure our spending problem alone. Republicans currently find themselves alone in slowing the runaway expansion of government and our national debt. Their approach is ... by Staff Writer

Sole Authority?

At the Southampton Village Board’s July 7 organizational meeting, Mayor Bill Manger announced his choices for all the members to serve on the various village committees. No input from the trustees, no input from residents. When a trustee questioned the appointment process, Manger arrogantly — and incorrectly — claimed he had sole authority to appoint committee members, and that trustees could only ratify them. That’s false. While Village Law § 4-400 allows the mayor to appoint village employees (excluding police) and members of regulatory boards, like the Zoning Board and Planning Board, state law is silent on appointments to advisory ... by Staff Writer

Just Chill

Welcome to summer 2025 in the Hamptons, one of the most beautiful places in the country. As a resident of Bridgehampton for the past 25 years, I’d like to offer a few thoughts on how we can all enjoy this special place to the fullest, while helping others do the same: 1. Chill. It still surprises me how many people seem to be in a rush. One of the main reasons to be here is to unwind, no? So, please, take a breath. Slow down. Enjoy. 2. Do everything slowly. Eat slowly. Shop slowly. Move slowly. Wake up a few ... by Staff Writer

Humbling Honor

I am writing this letter to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to several individuals and organizations for their kind acknowledgment of my many years of public service to the East End communities. As many know at this point, in May, after 17 years, I retired from my position as vice president of Community and Government Relations at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. That chapter of my life began in 2008, after six years of serving as the Southampton Town deputy supervisor. During my tenure at the hospital, I also served as the chair of the Southampton Town Public Safety Commission, ... by Staff Writer

Are You OK?

All leaders, especially political leaders, make decisions consistent with their own belief system and ideology. However, our current president is so pathologically self-absorbed that his personality completely dominates his presidency and his policies. His executive orders are not a statement of ideology — they are purely Trump. Donald Trump’s life history is the opposite of philanthropic. Abandoning USAID, “Alligator Alcatraz,” and choosing the most dismal and dangerous places in the world for “detainees” reflect his heartless nature. It is demonstrated daily by his name-calling and the degradation of those who oppose him. Trump has never lived by the laws, or ... by Staff Writer

Community News, July 17

YOUTH CORNER Circle of Fun East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street in East Hampton, will ... by Staff Writer

'Brotherhood BBQ' Planned at Child Care Center

The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center will host a “Brotherhood BBQ” on Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its campus located at 551 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike. This free, all-ages event is designed as a gathering space “where men of color — from high school to elder generations — can connect, uplift, and thrive” through meaningful conversations around manhood, mental health, leadership, and legacy. Developed with input from a dedicated committee of local men, the event reflects the voices, needs, and lived experiences of those the center seeks to serve. The day will feature a keynote ... by Staff Writer