Letters written by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, widow of former US President John F Kennedy, to a Dublin priest could be destroyed, according to a family friend. The correspondence, which was withdrawn from auction last month, may be burned to protect the privacy of the late First Lady.
Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F Kennedy, suggested that the letters should be burned, according to Fr Gerard Creedon, a priest based in Virginia who is close to the Kennedy family. Fr Creedon said the suggestion was made to 'put an end to the story' and supported the decision to halt the sale.
The letters were written to Fr Joseph Leonard, a Vincentian priest at All Hallows College in Dublin, from 1950 until his death in 1964. They were due to be auctioned but the college withdrew them. Reports suggested the collection could have fetched up to $5m (£2.97m).
In the letters, Mrs Kennedy expressed happiness about meeting and marrying John F Kennedy but also revealed concerns that he might become like her father, whom she described as 'a bit of a philanderer'. She also wrote of her joy during visits to Ireland before she married into the Kennedy family.
Fr Creedon, who attended All Hallows in the 1960s, agreed with the decision of the Vincentian order to stop the auction. He stressed that the letters were private. All Hallows College has since announced it will close, leaving the future of the correspondence uncertain.
