Camelot Continues Jackie Kennedy and Katie Holmes

Camelot continues with Katie Holmes acting the role of Jackie Kennedy in the upcoming 8 hour mini-series on the History Channel which will debut in 2011. Camelot is a mythical place somewhere in 15th century England and yet in America, Camelot is closely associated with the Kennedy family. Jackie and John F. Kennedy embodied not just the romance but also the grandeur that we all imagine the mythical Camelot to actually be. Arthurian scholar Norris J. Lacy commented that "Camelot, located nowhere in particular, can be anywhere".

Jackie and Katie are two dark haired beauties who have much in common beyond their stunning good looks, similar taste in clothing, sunglasses and jewelry. From influential men to prior engagements to being raised Catholic to the love of sapphires not to mention the love of men of great men of notoriety. Read about the parallels of these two charming and elegant and stunningly beautiful women – Jackie Bouvier Kennedy and Katie Holmes.

"Camelot, located no where in particular, can be anywhere".

Norman Lacy

"Ann Lowe designed and made Miss Bouvier's dress for the wedding of the century. In addition to the wedding gown she made all of the bridesmaids dresses too. What's even more amazing is that 10 days before the wedding a flood ruined all the dresses and Miss Lowe recreated every single dress in time for the big day." source: cassandrabromfield.com

Journey with me as we explore the source of the Kennedy wealth and the paycheck JFK never took and the many firsts of this unique American family. As a visual delight, enjoy the photos which sometimes appear to be a mirror image of Katie Holmes real life and the life Jackie Kennedy from decades before.

Casting for The Kennedys Mini-series

The 8-hour History Channel special could not have a better line-up for actors and actresses. Katie of course will play the dark haired beauty of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy. Reports have been released that Holmes has agreed to play Jacqueline Kennedy in an eight-hour mini series on the History channel. The casting is amazing with such talents as Greg Kinnear (who really looks like JFK - doesn't he?), British actor Tom Wilkinson (stately - reminiscent to me of the late AND very great John Houseman with his British authoritarian style) and Barry Pepper (talk about the quintessential soldier and agent - very memorable face). The mini series will be appropriately titled The Kennedys . While Houseman may be best remembered for his commercial work - remember - "we EARN it", these actors will forever be remember and hopefully acclaimed for their role in living the American dream with the only pseudo royal family aka Camelot - the Kennedys.

Kennedy Wealth

John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy were known as American royalty not just for JFK being the 35th President of the United States (1961-1963) but for the great wealth that the Kennedy family had acquired. I have heard that in his career, John F. Kennedy never took a government pay check. The Kennedy money has many stories, from bootlegging to banking to lucrative land deals. The bootlegging along with the opium and China is unconfirmed, but the numerous land deals are legendary from raw land that contained coal to a landmark building in Chicago. Here is one account of the great wealth:

"By the 1930s Kennedy was rich, but he didn't make serious money by modern standards until he got into real estate in a big way during World War II, raking in an estimated $100 million. In 1945 he made the deal that remains the centerpiece of the Kennedy fortune: for a measly $12.5 million he bought the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, a huge wholesale emporium that had cost $30 million to build. Within a few years the annual gross in rent exceeded the purchase price. In 1957 Fortune declared Kennedy one of the richest men in America, with assets of 200 to 400 million bucks."

The other story of the great wealth was real estate purchased on the east coast which served to fuel the industrial revolution - coal mines which would have been pre-Merchandise Mart. Wikipedia reports that the son of Robert Kennedy, Christopher George Kennedy born July 4, 1963 continues to run the Merchandise Mart Properties including the famed Chicago Mart along with similar commercial properties in Los Angeles, California.

Great Kennedy Wealth Today

"Though Kennedy has refused to open her books, the former first daughter's total wealth rings in north of $100 million, according to a report in the New York Daily News .

As much as half of her fortune is tied up in the 366-acre estate her mother, Jackie Onassis, bought on Martha's Vineyard . In 1978, Jackie O dropped $1.1 million -- about the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan today -- on the ocean-side estate. Today its value is estimated to be $40 million

'f you were going to sell it it, it would be between $50 [million] to $75 million," Cathy Goudy , owner of American Real Estate on Martha's Vineyard, told the Daily news. "It's breathtaking. It's extremely unique.'"

"Caroline Kennedy Through the Years - In addition to the beachfront home, Kennedy made $3 million from the sale of her father's Hyannis Port home, $38 million from the 1998 sale of the family's Chicago 's Merchandise Mart and other related properties, and massive trusts from both parents, as well as her brother John Jr.

On top of all that, she's taken in another $40 million or so by auctioning off family heirlooms. Why she felt need to sell what amounts to a museum of America's great 20th century dynasty is anyone's guess."

Wealth aside, the Camelot allure is more about style and grace. Jackie was world-renowned for her public stoicism in the wake of her husband's assassination in 1963. Coupled with her stately demeanor is her fashion forwardness. While it was rumored that she spent more on clothing annually than what her husband earned as President (IF he cashed the checks), her fashion was more than just expense. Her fashion was noted comfort and appropriateness.

When she visited France, she was considerate and wore French designs. And while she favored the French designers, she was politically correct here in the US and was known as a huge patron of Oleg Cassini (French born but nonetheless American) among others. Jackie choose Ann Lowe, an African American designer for both her wedding dress and the dresses of her attendants. And true to Jackie fashion, while she would have preferred long and lean lines for her wedding dress, she compromised with the hooped skirt to lend the Cinderella or Camelot effect to her wedding dress.

Jackie and Katie - 10 Items They Share in Their Lives - List of Similarities

The similarities of these two great women I find enthralling - the list so far is eleven. Please feel free to add - let me know and I will glad add:

First Names Ending in "IE"

IE - Jackie and Katie - check out the last two letters! OK, not significant, let's not count that one.

1 - Husbands with Irish Lineage

Irish - Husbands - both Irish lineage

Tom Cruise's family roots are said to reside in thel town of Kilteevan in Roscommon - and his real surname is Maypother.

source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20021229/ai_n12854221/

2 - Both Raised Roman Catholic

Religion - Jackie and Katies's religious background - raised Roman Catholic (ok, many people in America are Catholic - stay with here - read on...)

3 - Prior Engagement

Prior Engagement - Jackie and Katie were both engaged before marrying their husbands.

4 - Broke Engagement in the Month of March

Broke Engagement in Same Month - Jackie and Katie both broke up with their former fiancé in March (Jackie in March 1953..., Katie in March 2005...)

5 - Engagements Announced in June

John F. Kennedy proposed in In May 1953, Kennedy proposed, giving Jackie a 2.88-carat diamond-and-emerald ring from Van Cleef and Arpels. The announcement would be made on June 24, 1953.

Engaged in June - Jackie and Katie were both engaged in June (Jackie's formal announcement was made June 24th; Tom proposed to Katie on .... at the Eiffel Tower - 2 months after they met)

6 - Wedding Gown Necklines

Wedding Gowns - Jackie and Katie both wore similar wedding gowns - decades apart. Check out the matching necklines at the end of this Hub. Remember Jackie was said to have wanted a more streamline gown - the large hoop was said to be mandated for pomp and show - the neckline was most likely her own choice.

Jackie and John September 12th 1953, Cruise and Holmes married November 18th, 2006

7 - Camelot and Castles

Camelot and Castles -On November 18, 2006, Holmes and Cruise were married at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy

Holmes and Cruise Camelot Life

Married in a Castle in Itay with Katie's "lacy wedding items" costing $3000. Jackie was reported to have spent annually more on clothing than JFK made in one year as President of the United States.

8 - Tropical Honeymoons

Tropical Honeymooned - Jackie and John honeymooned in Acapulco, Katie and Tom in Maldives. Ok, I concede all honeymoons are tropical - no big deal...just love dreamy tropical places.

9 - First Born Children - Girls

First Born Children - Jackie and Katie's first born children were both girls (Jackie had a stillbirth, subsequently she gave birth to Caroline, Katie gave birth to Suri) (Sadly Jacqueline suffered a miscarriage in 1955 and gave birth to a stillborn baby girl in 1956.

10 - Height - 5"9"

Height - Jackie height was reported 5'7", Katie 5'9" (reliable sources on the Internet - yes, there is such a thing - report that Jackie lied about her height because it was considered un-lady-like to be so tall). Mrs. Obama by the way is said to be 5'10 3/4".

Biography Statistics:

JFK - The First Catholic President - The First Irish President - The Youngest President

"John Fitzgerald " Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963),35th president

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, born July 3, 1962),

Kate Noelle "Katie" Holmes (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek Her movie roles have ranged from The Ice Storm to thrillers such as Abandon to blockbusters such as Batman Begins.

On April 18, 2006, Holmes gave birth to their daughter, Suri. On November 18, 2006, she and Cruise married in Italy.

On April 18, 2006, Holmes gave birth to a baby girl named Suri. A Vanity Fair article reported that Suri arrived exactly one year after Cruise and Holmes met, April 18, 2005. The Los Angeles Times summarized the written statement Cruise released on the birth, saying the name "is a word with origins in both Hebrew and Persian. In Hebrew, it means 'princess' and in Persian, 'red rose,' it was claimed in the release."^[102] Although some Hebrew linguists had never seen the word for "princess" spelled this way and its meaning,

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr., John Kennedy or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy, Kennedy was killed in a plane crash along with his wife and sister-in-law on July 16, 1999.

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and served as First Lady during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. She was later married to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis from 1968 until his death in 1975. In later years she had a successful career as a book editor. She is remembered for her contributions to the arts and historic preservation, her style and elegance, and her public stoicism in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination.

Bouvier married Kennedy on September 12, 1953, at St. Mary's Church in Newport, Rhode Island in a Mass celebrated by Boston's Archbishop Richard Cushing.An estimated 700 guests attended the ceremony and 1,200 attended the reception that followed at Hammersmith Farm."

Jackie Kennedy - Katie Holmes - Style and Grace

Jackie had brown eyes, Katie's eyes are hazel and yet their style and grace bear a very similar thread. From evening dresses to trench coats to over sized sunglasses to event he neckline of their wedding gowns. Yes, they share almost the same neckline for their wedding dress! Amazing!

As the photos clearly showcase, both Jackie and Katie have their own distinctive and very elegant style. Both Jackie and Katie always manage to exude a refined chic even when dressed casually. Additionally, both Jackie and Katie have a special bond with their daughters as the photos clearly convey.

Jackie and Katie and Sapphires

Jackie was given gifts of jewelry galore and yet her most abundant collection was Ceylon Sapphires. Katie, also is a fan of sapphires. John F. Kennedy's engagement ring and anniversary ring were both emeralds, yet Jackie had bracelet after bracelet in both deep blue sapphire and Ceylon sapphire (the Ceylon sapphire is mined in only place in the world - the country of Ceylon now known as Sri Lanka (from 1948-1972, this country was known as the Dominion of Ceylon) and it a very bright light blue - stunning.

Clothing Extravaganzas

The clothing extravaganzas are the most striking. From Jackie spending more than an American President's annual salary on clothing to Katie reportedly spending $3,000 just on the lingerie for her wedding! The amount of money for clothing has extreme dollar by anyone's standards. To our delight, we have a wonderful fashion show courtesy of these two great women. Decades apart but yet, both Jackie and Katie still hold our attention for fashion and beauty.

How the 30 million kennedys miniseries wound up on Reelzchannel

"On Sunday, "The Kennedys" will finally premiere in the U.S. on ReelzChannel, a little-known, family-owned independent cable network that's hoping the miniseries can instantly vault it into the big leagues of outlets offering splashy original programming."

Reelzchannel.com

Enter your zip code to locate your local channel.

Jackie and John F. Kennedy enchanted America and perhaps the world for decades. For another 8 hours, the History Channel is allowing us to step back in time and recall a time of turmoil, a time of grace and high style and a time of wonderful fashion and jewelry.

So what if Camelot only continues for 8 hours? Camelot will forever remain in our hearts and minds. Kudos to Holmes and the History Channel for allowing us to return to the enchanted fairytale land that John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy allowed us to share - even if it was from afar, the fairytale is and always will be a joy to us all.

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