Jackie Kennedy’s Surprising Two-Word Criticism of Queen Elizabeth Revealed

In 1961, Jackie visited Buckingham Palace alongside her husband, President John F. Kennedy, during an overseas trip.

For several years, the late Queen Elizabeth II and the former First Lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy, appeared to share a rumored friendship that often sparked endless fascination among the public. While some media reports labeled their relationship as complicated, calling them ‘frenemies’, other stories highlighted the mutual respect and shared understanding between the two popular women. However, it has now been revealed that long before the duo found common ground, the former First Lady once delivered a sharp two-word criticism of the then-monarch.

In June 1961, Jackie visited Buckingham Palace alongside her husband, President John F. Kennedy, during an overseas trip that also carried personal significance. They were in the UK to reconnect with Jackie's sister, Lee Radziwill, who had recently settled in London with her husband and young daughter. Talking about the experience, Caroline Hallemann, who is the author of a new book titled The Kennedys and the Windsors, said, "Jackie was very excited to go to Buckingham Palace and thrilled to meet the Queen," as reported by People Magazine.

"But she was just slightly disappointed that the palace wasn't grander," Hallemann claimed. Not only that, Jackie was also disappointed with the Queen's hairstyle. Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith claimed that, in private, the then-First Lady made a striking two-word comment about the monarch’s hairstyle, calling it, "too flat." However, any early tension between the two women did not last long. By the time Jackie made another visit to Buckingham Palace the following year, their interactions felt far more relaxed and friendly.

Revealing their shared interests, Hallemann said, "They had a great lunch, in part because they talked at length about horses. That is where they were able to really connect. That was a true passion for both of these women." The author then went on to add, "Many people have said when they were with horses, when they were riding, that was when they felt the most themselves. That second conversation at Buckingham Palace would have been when they really connected on that topic and found common ground."

Meanwhile, another author, Clint Hill, also spoke about the bond shared by the two iconic women and said, "They had a good relationship. I know that the press has sometimes written it otherwise, but that's not really true. The relationship was friendly, warmer than it was cold." In reality, Elizabeth and Jackie were just two young mothers when they first met, trying to manage the constant public pressure while living under the spotlight. "They had small children, and they had horses. Two things that they could discuss forever," Hill stated, as reported by the Town and Country Magazine.