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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy had 11 children: seven sons and four daughters. Their children were born between 1951 and 1968. Two of the sons, David Anthony Kennedy and Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, died before Ethel, who died on October 10, 2024, at age 96. The family’s official statement said that nine of her children were living at the time of her death.
This is the family of Ethel Skakel Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy—not the children of Robert’s brothers John F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, or every member of the wider Kennedy family.
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The 11 Kennedy children in birth order
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s family biography provides the children’s full names, birth dates and birth order.
| Order | Full name | Common name | Son or daughter | Born | Status in relation to Ethel’s death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend | Kathleen | Daughter | July 4, 1951 | Survived Ethel |
| 2 | Joseph Patrick Kennedy II | Joe Kennedy II | Son | September 24, 1952 | Survived Ethel |
| 3 | Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Son | January 17, 1954 | Survived Ethel |
| 4 | David Anthony Kennedy | David | Son | June 15, 1955 | Died April 25, 1984 |
| 5 | Courtney Kennedy Hill | Courtney | Daughter | September 9, 1956 | Survived Ethel |
| 6 | Michael LeMoyne Kennedy | Michael | Son | February 27, 1958 | Died December 31, 1997 |
| 7 | Mary Kerry Kennedy | Kerry | Daughter | September 8, 1959 | Survived Ethel |
| 8 | Christopher George Kennedy | Christopher or Chris | Son | July 4, 1963 | Survived Ethel |
| 9 | Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy | Max | Son | January 11, 1965 | Survived Ethel |
| 10 | Douglas Harriman Kennedy | Douglas | Son | March 24, 1967 | Survived Ethel |
| 11 | Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy | Rory | Daughter | December 12, 1968 | Survived Ethel |
In short, Ethel Kennedy had seven sons—Joseph, Robert Jr., David, Michael, Christopher, Max and Douglas—and four daughters—Kathleen, Courtney, Kerry and Rory.
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A family shaped by a compressed and extraordinary chronology
Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel married on June 17, 1950. Their first child, Kathleen, was born just over a year later, and their eleventh child, Rory, was born in December 1968.
That final birth came after a national tragedy. Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, after winning California’s Democratic presidential primary. He died the next day. Ethel was pregnant with their eleventh child, Rory, who was born on December 12, 1968—roughly six months after her father’s death. Rory therefore was born after Robert Kennedy died; she did not meet him.
After the assassination, Ethel remained a widow and raised the children while also building a public life around human rights and social justice. It is more accurate to say that she raised them after Robert’s death than to portray her as having done so without household, family or institutional support. Ethel later founded the organization now known as Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights.
Ethel Kennedy’s four daughters
1. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, born July 4, 1951, is Ethel and Robert Kennedy’s eldest child. A lawyer and Democratic politician, she served as Maryland’s first female lieutenant governor from 1995 to 2003.
Her career has included federal and state public service, retirement policy, asset management and nonprofit leadership. The Maryland Commission for Women’s biography also identifies later roles as a senior adviser to the Secretary of the Navy and a State Department special adviser.
Kathleen is the mother of four daughters. One of them, Maeve Kennedy McKean, and Maeve’s young son Gideon died in a 2020 canoeing accident. They were Ethel’s granddaughter and great-grandson, respectively—not two of Ethel’s 11 children.
Important identification note: Kathleen Kennedy Townsend should not be confused with Kathleen Kennedy, the film producer. The claim in some family roundups that Townsend served as U.S. ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 is not supported by the official Maryland biography and appears to confuse her with another Kennedy.
2. Courtney Kennedy Hill
Courtney Kennedy Hill, born September 9, 1956, has maintained a lower public profile than several of her siblings. She worked in television production and was associated with the United Nations AIDS Foundation.
She married Paul Michael Hill, one of the members of the Guildford Four whose convictions were overturned. Courtney is the mother of Saoirse Kennedy Hill, who died in 2019 at age 22 from an accidental overdose. Saoirse was Ethel’s granddaughter, not her daughter.
Rank #2
3. Mary Kerry Kennedy
Mary Kerry Kennedy, generally known as Kerry Kennedy, was born September 8, 1959. She is a lawyer, author and human-rights advocate and is president of Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights.
Kerry is one of the clearest examples of a child continuing the public-service and human-rights work associated with both of her parents. She has three daughters from her former marriage to Andrew Cuomo.
4. Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy
Rory Kennedy, born December 12, 1968, is the youngest of Ethel Kennedy’s children and the only one born after Robert Kennedy’s assassination. She became a documentary filmmaker and producer and co-founded Moxie Firecracker Films.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallHer work includes Ethel, the 2012 documentary about her mother; Ghosts of Abu Ghraib; Last Days in Vietnam; and Downfall: The Case Against Boeing. Last Days in Vietnam received an Academy Award nomination. Her Moxie filmmaker biography describes her documentary career, while the Academy’s 87th nominations announcement records the nomination for Last Days in Vietnam.
Ethel Kennedy’s seven sons
1. Joseph Patrick Kennedy II
Joseph Patrick Kennedy II, usually called Joe Kennedy II, was born September 24, 1952. He was Ethel and Robert’s second child and their eldest son.
He founded Citizens Energy Corporation in 1979, an organization associated with providing lower-cost heating assistance to people in need. He later served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Massachusetts from 1987 to 1999. The Congressional Directory biography confirms his House career.
After leaving Congress, Kennedy remained associated with Citizens Energy and private-sector work. He is the father of former Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III and Matthew Kennedy. The younger Joseph Kennedy is a separate person from Joe Kennedy II and is Ethel’s grandson.
2. Robert Francis Kennedy Jr.
Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., widely known as RFK Jr. or Bobby Jr., was born January 17, 1954. He developed an independent career as an environmental lawyer and author, working with Riverkeeper and helping to establish Waterkeeper Alliance. His Waterkeeper biography documents that environmental work.
He later became a controversial public-health and vaccine-policy activist. In 2024, he ran for president as an independent. As of August 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists him as the 26th U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services. Because government offices can change, that statement is date-specific; readers should consult the HHS secretary’s official biography and the department’s leadership page for later updates.
Rank #3
RFK Jr.’s public career is therefore broader than either the Kennedy name or his later controversies. His political positions have also produced public disagreements with several siblings. Those disagreements should not automatically be described as a permanent estrangement of the entire family.
3. David Anthony Kennedy
David Anthony Kennedy, born June 15, 1955, was the fourth child. He was 12 when his father was assassinated.
David struggled with substance use and died in a Palm Beach hotel room on April 25, 1984, at age 28. Contemporary reporting found cocaine, Demerol and a prescription sedative in his system; the official cause was reported as multiple-drug ingestion. The Washington Post’s contemporary report and UPI’s report on the official finding provide the relevant details.
Biographical accounts and family testimony have connected his later difficulties with the trauma of witnessing his father’s assassination, but it would be too strong to state that the assassination alone caused his addiction. David died from an accidental multiple-drug overdose; the phrase “Kennedy curse” is neither a medical explanation nor a substitute for the documented facts.
4. Michael LeMoyne Kennedy
Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, born February 27, 1958, was the sixth child. He was a lawyer and nonprofit executive who took over operations of Citizens Energy after Joe Kennedy II stepped away. He also helped found Stop Handgun Violence.
Michael died at age 39 on December 31, 1997, after a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado. He left three children. His death is sometimes described in sensational terms because of the Kennedy family’s public history, but the core verified fact is that it followed a skiing accident.
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Michael’s life also included widely publicized allegations in 1997 involving a former teenage babysitter. Those allegations should not be presented as a criminal conviction or as established fact without careful sourcing and distinction between allegations, investigation and legal outcome. They are not necessary to identify his principal public roles or explain his death.
5. Christopher George Kennedy
Christopher George Kennedy, often called Christopher or Chris, was born July 4, 1963. He became a businessman and civic leader based in Chicago.
He was president of Merchandise Mart Properties and has been identified in organizational biographies as chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises. Because corporate positions can change, that title should be understood as based on available dated biographies rather than as a timeless office. Kennedy also founded or helped lead hunger-relief work through Top Box Foods and ran unsuccessfully for governor of Illinois in 2018.
Rank #4
His business and civic profile is summarized in a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights speaker biography.
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Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, known as Max, was born January 11, 1965. He is a lawyer, author and environmental advocate who studied at Harvard and the University of Virginia School of Law.
Max has worked on political campaigns and published books connected to his father’s writings and legacy. He is married to Victoria Strauss and has three children. Available profiles support describing him as an author, lawyer and environmental advocate more clearly than assigning him a single current executive title.
7. Douglas Harriman Kennedy
Douglas Harriman Kennedy, born March 24, 1967, is a broadcast journalist. Fox News describes him as a correspondent; he joined Fox News Channel in 1996 and is based in New York.
Before joining the network, he worked for the New York Post, Boston Herald and Nantucket Beacon. His current Fox News profile is the appropriate source for his present network role.
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What happened to Ethel Kennedy’s two deceased sons?
Of the 11 children, David Kennedy died in 1984 and Michael Kennedy died in 1997. They were the only two children who died before Ethel.
- David Anthony Kennedy: died in Palm Beach on April 25, 1984, at 28, from multiple-drug ingestion reported as an accidental overdose.
- Michael LeMoyne Kennedy: died in Aspen on December 31, 1997, at 39, after a skiing accident.
These deaths are sometimes grouped into stories about a supposed “Kennedy curse.” A more responsible account keeps the focus on the individual circumstances: David’s substance-use struggle and accidental overdose, and Michael’s fatal skiing accident. The phrase should not be treated as an objective historical or medical explanation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How many of Ethel Kennedy’s children are still alive?
The official family statement following Ethel Kennedy’s death said that nine of her 11 children were living when she died. Those nine were Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph Kennedy II, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Courtney Kennedy Hill, Kerry Kennedy, Christopher Kennedy, Max Kennedy, Douglas Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.
David and Michael had already died, in 1984 and 1997 respectively. The Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights family biography also said Ethel left 34 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
The children are not the same as Ethel Kennedy’s grandchildren
The Kennedy family tree is large, and generational labels are a frequent source of confusion. Joseph Kennedy III, Saoirse Kennedy Hill and Maeve Kennedy McKean were among the better-known descendants connected to this branch, but none was one of Ethel’s 11 children:
- Joseph Kennedy III is Joe Kennedy II’s son and therefore Ethel’s grandson.
- Saoirse Kennedy Hill was Courtney Kennedy Hill’s daughter and Ethel’s granddaughter.
- Maeve Kennedy McKean was Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s daughter and Ethel’s granddaughter. Maeve’s son Gideon was Ethel’s great-grandson.
The family’s own human-rights organization uses the figure of 34 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. An Associated Press page has rendered the latter generational description inconsistently, so the organization’s wording is the clearer reference.
How the 11 children’s public lives differed
Although the children shared a famous political family, they did not follow one uniform path. Their work spans:
- Government and electoral politics: Kathleen Kennedy Townsend served as Maryland lieutenant governor; Joseph Kennedy II served in Congress; Christopher Kennedy ran for governor of Illinois; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president in 2024.
- Human rights and public advocacy: Kerry Kennedy leads Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights, while RFK Jr. first became prominent through environmental advocacy.
- Energy and social programs: Joe Kennedy II and Michael Kennedy were associated with Citizens Energy, and Christopher Kennedy has been connected with hunger-relief work through Top Box Foods.
- Journalism and film: Douglas Kennedy became a television correspondent, Max Kennedy an author, and Rory Kennedy an award-nominated documentary filmmaker.
That range is more useful than treating the siblings as a single political bloc or assuming that every one of them continued Robert Kennedy’s career in the same way. Their shared background is significant, but their occupations, causes and political positions have often been distinct.
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- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is Ethel’s third child. He is not the same person as his father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
- Joseph Kennedy II is Ethel’s second child. Joseph Kennedy III is his son and Ethel’s grandson.
- Max Kennedy is the common name for Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy.
- Rory Kennedy is Ethel’s youngest child and a documentary filmmaker.
- Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is the politician and former Maryland lieutenant governor, not the film executive Kathleen Kennedy.
- Courtney Kennedy Hill is the fifth child; “Courtney Kennedy” may also be used informally for her.
- Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. were the children of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, not Ethel’s children.
- The Kennedy Lawford, Kennedy Smith and Kennedy Shriver families belong to other branches of the extended family.
Sources and verification notes
The strongest single source for the list, full names, birth dates and order is the JFK Library’s Ethel Kennedy family biography. Ethel’s death, the nine-child survivor count and the grandchild figures are supported by Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights. Government and institutional sources are used for the profiles of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph Kennedy II, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kerry Kennedy, Douglas Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Ethel Kennedy have 11 children with Robert F. Kennedy?
Yes. Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy had 11 children together: seven sons and four daughters.
Was Rory Kennedy born after her father died?
Yes. Robert F. Kennedy was shot on June 5, 1968, died on June 6, and Rory was born on December 12, 1968. She was the couple’s eleventh child.
Which of Ethel Kennedy’s children died?
David Anthony Kennedy died in 1984 at age 28 from multiple-drug ingestion reported as an accidental overdose. Michael LeMoyne Kennedy died in 1997 at age 39 after a skiing accident in Aspen.
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Are Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. Ethel Kennedy’s children?
No. Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. were the children of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy. Ethel’s children are the 11 listed in this article.
The Bottom Line
Ethel Kennedy had 11 children—seven sons and four daughters. Her children built careers in government, law, human rights, environmental advocacy, business, journalism and documentary film. David and Michael died before their mother; the official family statement said nine children were living when Ethel died in 2024.
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