Jacqueline Kennedy, former First lady and wife of former US President John F Kennedy, is making the news on social media. Did she have an India connection? What was it? Jawaharlal Nehru! Was it a good one? Well, read on…
Nehru’s admiration with Jacqueline Kennedy, the young and glamorous First Lady of the United States, added another layer to his complex image. Their interactions began when Jackie visited India in 1962, a visit that generated significant media interest. Nehru was in his early seventies at the time, while Jackie was young and considered one of the most beautiful and fashionable women globally. Their public appearances together were closely documented, and photos often showed Nehru visibly charmed by Jackie’s presence.
Critics argue that Nehru’s enthusiasm for Jackie’s visit was a distraction at a time when India faced severe domestic issues, including economic challenges.
In a 2016 public event video, Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst and author of JFK’s Forgotten Crisis, discussed an interesting incident involving Jawaharlal Nehru and Jacqueline Kennedy. Riedel revealed that Nehru was “smitten” by the U.S. First Lady, mentioning that the Indian Prime Minister kept a photograph of her on his bedside table for the rest of his life. He quickly added that while the gesture was unusual, it highlighted the significant diplomatic role Jacqueline Kennedy played in fostering U.S.-India relations.
But here is what Jackie thought of Nehru. Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady of the United States, did not have a positive relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru or his daughter, Indira Gandhi, as revealed in the book ‘Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F Kennedy‘. When Nehru visited the U.S. in November 1961, John F. Kennedy referred to the visit as “the worst head-of-state visit” and made a derogatory comment about Nehru’s final days in power, describing it as “the town preacher being caught in the whorehouse.” Jackie Kennedy shared her distaste for Indira Gandhi, calling her a “real prune” and criticizing her as “bitter, kind of pushy, [and] horrible.” She also remarked that Indira always looked like “she’s been sucking a lemon.” These sentiments reflect the personal tension between the Kennedys and the prominent Indian leaders during their interactions.
Nehru’s relationships with powerful women—intellectual companions or political confidantes—reveal a man whose personal life was as complex and controversial as his leadership. While some revere him as a visionary architect of modern India, others see his flirtations and emotional dependencies as a distraction from the grave responsibilities of his office. His alleged infatuations with women like Edwina Mountbatten, Padmaja Naidu, and Jacqueline Kennedy raise serious questions about his focus and priorities during India’s tumultuous early years of independence. Was the man who shaped a nation too entangled in his personal whims to steer the course of history truly? The truth may be less flattering than the iconic legacy he carefully crafted.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.