Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Quotes

First Lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (28 July 1929 – 19 May 1994) was the wife of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. She later married to a Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis from 1968 until he died in 1975. In later years, she had a successful career as a book editor.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Birth Name: Jacqueline Lee Bouvier

Native Name: Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

Alternative Names: Jacqueline Kennedy • Jackie Onassis • Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy • Jacqueline Bouvier • Jacqueline Onassis • Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis • Jacqueline Bouvier Onassis • Jackie O. • Jackie Kennedy Onassis • Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis • Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis • Jackie Bouvier Kennedy • Jackie-O • Jacqueline Lee Kennedy • Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy • Jackie O • Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis • Jackie Kennedy

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You are about to have your first experience with a Greek lunch. I will kill you if you pretend to like it.

The one thing I do not want to be called is First Lady. It sounds like a saddle horse.

It looks like it’s been furnished by discount stores.

Minimum information given with maximum politeness.

Whenever I was upset by something in the papers, [Jack] always told me to be more tolerant, like a horse flicking away flies in the summer.

If we don’t care about our past we can’t have very much hope for our future.

You were so kind to us yesterday. Never have I seen such magnanimity and such tenderness. Can you imagine the gift you gave me? To return to the White House privately with my little ones while they are still young enough to rediscover their childhood — with you both as guides — and with your daughters, such extraordinary young women. What a tribute to have brought them up like that in the limelight. I pray I can do half the same with my Caroline. It was good to see her exposed to their example, and John to their charm! You spoiled us beyond belief . . . I have never seen the White House look so perfect. There is no hidden corner of it that is not beautiful now.

We know you understand that even though people may be well known they still hold in their hearts the emotions of a simple person for the moments that are the most important of those we know on earth — birth, marriage, death. We wish our wedding to be a private moment in the little chapel among the cypresses of Skorpios.

If they're killing Kennedys, then my children are targets ... I want to get out of this country.

A camel makes an elephant feel like a jet plane.

One man can make a difference and every man should try.

Now, I think that I should have known that he was magic all along. I did know it — but I should have guessed that it would be too much to ask to grow old with and see our children grow up together. So now, he is a legend when he would have preferred to be a man.

I loathe the French. There's not one French person I can think of except—maybe two very simple people. Maybe Boudin, who's so un-French. You know, they're really not very nice. They're all for themselves.

I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of messages, nearly eight hundred thousand in all, which my children and I have received over the past few weeks. The knowledge of the affection in which my husband was held by all of you has sustained me and the warmth of these tributes is something I shall never forget. Whenever I can bear to, I read them. All his bright light’s gone from the world. All of you who have written to me know how much we all loved him and that he returned that love in full measure.

One must not let oneself be overwhelmed by sadness.