What Really Happened When Jackie Kennedy Met Queen Elizabeth

Every once in a while, two of the most famous people on the planet step into a room at the same time—and everyone freaks out. And we don’t blame them; there’s something so intriguing about witnessing a couple of magnetic folks yak it up with one another.

Although this happens all of the time these days, thanks to the seemingly endless schedule of awards shows on the television roster, there is one encounter, in particular, that trumps them all. To put it into perspective, the meeting is still on people’s minds almost 60 years later. Impressive, indeed!

Stumped yet? Well, if you read the title of this post, then you know exactly which powerful pair we are talking about: none other than Jackie Kennedy and the reigning monarch of England herself, Queen Elizabeth II.

And, yeah, a couple of other guys by the names of John F. Kennedy and Prince Phillip were there, too, but their wives’ alleged not-so-kind words have managed to completely overshadow their presences.

What did (or didn’t) happen when Jackie Kennedy met the Queen

The infamous Buckingham Palace meeting took place in 1961, when the former First Lady was 32 and Queen Elizabeth II was just 35. Yeah, it’s weird for us to think of the Queen as being young once, too!

The visit was part of the First Family’s European diplomatic trip, one that ended with quite the grand finale, a party thrown at Buckingham Palace in honor of JFK and company.

If you’ve binge-watched Netflix’s The Crown, then you certainly know all about how Jackie’s supposed unkind words and eye-rolling at the state of Buckingham Palace didn’t sit too well with the Queen. As a matter of fact, the show depicts the monarch even being moved to tears by Jackie O’s rough assessment of the digs. Sad stuff, huh?

Now, before you take to Twitter to shame the former First Lady, let’s take a look at what probably happened. Here’s what we know about the actual interaction. We’ll warn you, it is vague.

In his diaries, the legendary fashion photographer Cecil Beaton wrote that Jackie O. confided in him about her true feelings towards both Buckingham Palace and the Royal Family.

Apparently, The Crown was right-on when it came to Jackie’s reaction to the palace—Beaton did reveal that the then-first lady was “unimpressed” by the Queen’s fashion choices, as well as the overall “look” of her legendary home.

Gore Vidal also revealed that the president’s wife felt that the monarch “resented” her. Could it be because Jackie O. was perhaps stealing away a bit of attention from the Queen—on her turf, no less?

Although we’ll never know if haughty words were ever exchanged between the pair, we do admit that the whole scenario is REALLY fun to think about!

To learn even more about the Queen and Jackie O’s infamous Buckingham Palace soirée, AND to see how The Crown depicted the encounter, be sure to watch the video below. What we would have done to be a fly on the wall at that party…

We can’t WAIT to hear your take on this supposed feud! Do you think that the Queen and Jackie O.’s Buckingham Palace meeting was as cold as the one portrayed on The Crown? Do you share the former First Lady’s thoughts on Buckingham Palace? Are you a fan of Netflix’s The Crown?