Noble Blood – “The Kennedy Marchioness”

Podcast: Noble Blood
Host: Dana Schwartz
Air Date: December 2, 2025
Episode Theme: The fascinating and tragic life of Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, the rebellious daughter of the Kennedy dynasty, who defied her powerful family—and fate—by pursuing love in British high society.

Overview of the Episode

Dana Schwartz explores the story of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, one of the lesser-known but most vivacious members of the Kennedy family. Using a trademark mix of historical rigor and novelistic flair, Dana traces Kick's journey from American political royalty to her own short-lived but dazzling role among the British aristocracy. The episode asks what happens when a young woman, destined to follow strict family expectations, dares to live—and love—on her own terms in an era that demanded conformity, especially for women.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Kennedy Curse and Family Legacy

• Dana opens by connecting Kick’s story to the broader narrative of the supposed "Kennedy curse" (01:52).
• Quote: "The Kennedys are the closest thing 20th century America had to royalty, and their legacy continues on today for better and worse." (03:17)
• Examples of other family tragedies: Rosemary’s lobotomy and exclusion, Joe Jr.'s wartime death.

Childhood and Upbringing

• Kick was born into a "rocky relationship" between her parents, Joe and Rose Kennedy (06:03).
• Family dynamics: Joe’s power and infidelity; Rose’s strict Catholicism and emotional distance.
• The Kennedy children were raised with relentless discipline and high expectations: "They were Kennedys first, individuals second." (09:43)
• Kick was known for her "irresistible spirit and a natural charm that drew people to her." (10:14)
• Quotable: “Joe demanded his children look polished and American. Rose governed the household like a general commanding the troops.” (10:47)

Move to England and Ascendance in London Society

• In 1938, Joe Kennedy becomes ambassador to Britain—Kick and her siblings become media sensations (13:14).
• Kick stands out during the social debut ("season")—her ease and humor impress staid British aristocracy.
• Quote: "She cracked jokes, told stories, and laughed at herself. Behavior that was practically revolutionary among the buttoned up aristocracy.” (17:37)
• She quickly gains fame as "America’s most important debutante." (19:14)

The First Great Love: Billy Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington

• Kick meets Billy Cavendish—a reserved, highborn Brit and future Duke—who falls for her brash American charm (20:25).
• Overcomes social and religious obstacles: Billy’s family is fiercely anti-Catholic, Kick is devout.
• Despite opposition from the Kennedys (especially her mother, Rose), Kick marries Billy in a civil ceremony (25:17).
• Only Joe Jr. attends; Billy inscribes her wedding ring, "I love you more than anything in the world." (25:41)

Tragedy Strikes – Loss and Perseverance

• Both Kick’s brother Joe Jr. (August 12, 1944) and Billy (September 10, 1944) are killed in the war within weeks of her marriage (27:12–28:26).
• Her resilience: "But Kick was first and foremost a Kennedy, which meant that emotions were something to be outrun. And what better way than by throwing yourself into work?" (29:04)

Kick’s Second Great Love – Peter Fitzwilliam, Earl and Scoundrel

• Kick reinvents herself as a political hostess, socializing with luminaries like Churchill and Shaw (30:11).
• Begins tumultuous affair with Peter Fitzwilliam, a married earl with a notorious reputation (31:19).
• The romance is highly controversial; family (especially Rose) is horrified and threatens to disown her (34:27).
• Kick hopes for her father’s approval and plans to introduce Fitzwilliam and Joe Kennedy in Paris—a meeting that would never take place due to tragedy.

Fatal Flight and Aftermath

• On May 13, 1948, Kick and Peter die in a plane crash trying to reach Paris against all warnings (37:50).
• Dana draws a resonant parallel with the later fate of JFK Jr.
• Kick's father, Joe, is devastated to identify her body and discovers a birth control device among her belongings—a symbol of the independent, controversial life his daughter had been living (39:16).
• Families collaborate to conceal the scandal: "The misinformation campaign worked. Headlines announced, chance Invite Sends Kennedy Girl to Her death." (41:18)
• Billy Cavendish’s family, recognizing her place in their hearts, offers her burial in their family plot and a Catholic funeral (42:05).

Legacy and Reflection

• Kick’s dazzling but brief life is overshadowed by the triumphs and tragedies of her brothers—her story often sanitized or minimized (44:52).
• Her nephew is named after her, but "no one was ever allowed to call her Kick" (45:21).
• Quote: "Kick was a woman who made her own way in a man's world during an era when that simply wasn't done." (46:34)
• Dana notes the irony that “Bobby’s son Robert Jr. named one of his daughters Kick. In 2024, this modern day Kick Kennedy made a splash in the tabloids..." (47:21)
• "Proving that times may change, but the Kick Kennedy name is still always good for a headline." (47:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Kennedy family dynamic:
  “They were Kennedys first, individuals second.” — Dana Schwartz (09:43)
• On Kick's unique social energy:
  “She made everyone around her feel more alive.” (18:19)
• The inscription on her wedding ring:
  “I love you more than anything in the world.” (Billy Cavendish, 25:41)
• On coping with loss:
  “But Kick was first and foremost a Kennedy, which meant that emotions were something to be outrun.” (29:04)
• On familial scandal and legacy:
  “Kick was a woman who made her own way in a man's world during an era when that simply wasn't done.” (46:34)

Important Timestamps

• 01:52: “The so called Kennedy curse is a favorite conversation topic and with good reason.”
• 09:43: Kennedy family expectations and discipline.
• 13:14–19:14: Arrival in London, Kick’s debutante impact.
• 20:25: Meeting Billy Cavendish.
• 25:17–25:41: Kick and Billy’s wedding.
• 27:12–28:26: Joe Jr. and Billy’s deaths.
• 29:04: Kick throws herself into work.
• 31:19: Kick’s affair with Peter Fitzwilliam begins.
• 34:27: Family opposition and threat of disownment.
• 37:50: Fatal plane crash.
• 39:16: Joe Kennedy identifies Kick’s body; discovers signs of her independent life.
• 42:05: Kick’s burial in Cavendish family plot.
• 46:34: Reflection on Kick’s independence and legacy.
• 47:21–47:36: Modern day reference to Kick Kennedy in the tabloids.

Final Reflections & Ironies

• The episode closes with an ironic twist: if Kick died “as a mistress to a married man,” the very existence of the Kennedy clan owes itself to another scandalous mistress. Rose Kennedy’s father’s indiscretion indirectly led to the Kennedy legacy unfolding as it did (48:18).
• Quote: "So Rose married Joe Kennedy after all, the man her father had deemed unworthy. And from that union came a pack of dynamic children who would shape American politics and culture for generations ..." (49:00)

Tone & Language

Dana Schwartz’s narration is evocative, sardonic, and witty, balancing affection, irony, and critical distance. She weaves historical fact with empathy and modern perspective, often drawing parallels between personal defiance and broader social mores, especially for women of Kick’s era.

Episode Takeaway

Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy’s story is simultaneously a footnote and a linchpin in 20th-century history. Her effervescence, independence, and willingness to defy her powerful family for love and personal fulfillment offer a fascinating and poignant counterpoint to the better-known stories of her famous brothers—and remind us of the many women whose full lives and struggles are still often written out of official histories.

This episode is highly recommended for anyone interested in the hidden dramas of history, the complexities of family loyalty versus personal agency, and the costs—personal and public—of living life on one’s own terms.