NADINE DORRIES: Jackie vs Carolyn – both were Kennedy women of style, but only one had substance

Jackie Kennedy has always intrigued me. When I was young, the First Lady’s every appearance and speech guaranteed widespread coverage in newspapers and magazines.

After the JFK assassination, the tragic young widow had even greater appeal.

She later married Aristotle Onassis, one of the richest men in the world, and as Jackie O, she was vilified by many for ‘selling out’.

He had become untouchable; It was even on par with the royal family.

Even though she became increasingly hunted by the paparazzi, she remained a mystery all this time; A woman the world has never known but is fascinated by.

As I watched the popular Disney+ series Love Story with a generation of young women, I realized how impressed they were by a very different Kennedy: Carolyn Bessette, the bride Jackie never knew.

Her romance with John F. Kennedy Jr. is the focus of Love Story: how the super-cool Carolyn plays hard to get but eventually wins ‘America’s Prince.’

Their courtship and marriage were turbulent, and they died together when the plane he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic in July 1999.

Carolyn hated the media attention of marrying a Kennedy. If he were alive today, I’m sure he wouldn’t have an Instagram account or post on social media. However, he would still be the biggest influencer.

Trying to keep life ordinary — or as ordinary as a Kennedy spouse could make it — by walking New York’s sidewalks or taking the subway, Carolyn seemed to exude the kind of authenticity that young women today desire but have a hard time establishing in the hall of mirrors offered by social media. I believe this is the key to its appeal to Gen Zers who are rediscovering the Kennedys.

So I find myself wondering which of these two women, Jackie or Carolyn, will have a greater, more lasting legacy? They both had an innate sense of fashion. With giant sunglasses, pillbox hats and haute couture suits, Jackie’s style is both part of her appeal and very much reflective of her era. It’s much easier for young women today to imagine Carolyn living the life she enjoyed and embracing her chic style.

Jackie came from a privileged background and was groomed by her mother to marry well with a rich and influential man.

In contrast, Carolyn represented the modern woman from an ordinary background who, thanks to her ambition and talent, took advantage of every opportunity that came her way. I think he can claim a bigger legacy here.

Carolyn seemed to exude the kind of originality that young women desire today (with John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1999).

Carolyn tried to hide from the cameras; In Love Story, he suffers from the press’s attention to him. Jackie was also being followed, but he understood the game because he had been playing since his early 20s. He used the media to his advantage by telling the best of his story and hiding the worst.

For example, on the day of her husband’s death, she refused to take off her Chanel suit, which was stained with her husband’s blood; He was aware of the power of this image and wanted to shock the world.

Her greatest achievement was creating a golden narrative of her husband’s time in power. Evoking Camelot, King Arthur’s palace, JFK framed his presidency as an era of youthful promise doomed to tragedy. He knew how the relationship between politics, privilege, and the media worked. While Carolyn tried to walk away, she played by the rules that governed being Kennedy’s wife.

Poised, icy and elegant, Jackie remains the White House castle girl to whom everyone is now compared; the original First Lady of modern times.

My generation can’t get enough of her, and I’m betting that although Carolyn is the center of attention for now, the interest will never wane in the long run.

This will eventually fade as interest in Love Story wanes and Gen Z discovers a new obsession.

Icon Jackie is an enduring triumph not only in terms of style but also of remarkable content.

The costly trap of heat pumps

I learned an important lesson about installing air source heat pumps; A piece of wisdom everyone needs to hear.

Heat pumps work in newly built homes because they are installed by professionals who specialize in green technology. But if you try installing them in older homes, you’ll find the market is flooded with cowboy plumbers and gas heating engineers trying to profit from government subsidies.

They cause a world of pain, especially for seniors who invest their pensions and savings into plans they believe will save money in the long run, only to face a harsh reality during the winter months.

While on the phone with a major utility provider this week, inquiring about a heating bill on behalf of a relative, an apologetic young man told me that his days were spent talking to distraught elderly customers who were dazzled by huge bills due to air-source heat pumps.

The gist of the story is this: If you’re even considering putting one in your home, use a company that specializes in heat pumps and nothing else. Remember, there is no turning back. Once installed, heat pumps cannot be removed without permission from your local municipality!

In short, you fell into the trap. You have been warned.

Anti-royal BBC mistake

The BBC’s decision to reduce staff on the specialist team that covers major live events such as royal funerals and commemorations on Sunday is anti-British and anti-royal.

For a broadcaster that’s made so many mistakes of late, you’d think maintaining the gold standard in broadcasting these events that unite the nation would be a priority. Job hacks cannot replace the expertise, collective memory, and skills demonstrated by individual members of the team. The BBC shot itself in the foot.

It’s a dog’s life – but not for me

As a dog owner who is slightly obsessed with my two 12-year-old West Highland white terriers — neither of whom are well — I’ve reached a point in my life that I know others will recognize, too.

I’m writing this while sitting in the vet’s waiting room while my son Teddy is getting a CT scan under sedation. In the chair next to me, Darcey is still struggling with heart failure.

It dawned on me that I could never do this again. I was done with dog ownership after my stubborn little Westies left this world. I can’t face the prospect of having another dog and then finding out one day that I was the one destined to abandon them.

A survey published in the European Heart Journal tells us that short-term activities, such as going upstairs, can reduce the risk of dementia by 63 percent. I thought about this as I pushed my four-year-old grandson up the hill on his scooter, heart pounding as he struggled to breathe. Yes, our grandchildren keep us young.