Mary Courtney Kennedy
Biography
Early Life and Activism
Mary Courtney Kennedy Hill was born on September 9, 1956, in Washington, D.C., the fifth of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy's eleven children. Growing up in the heart of American political life during the 1960s, she witnessed both the heights of Kennedy influence and the devastating assassinations of her uncle President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and her father Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. These formative experiences shaped a lifelong commitment to justice and human rights advocacy.
Marriage to Paul Hill and the Guildford Four
In 1981, Courtney married Paul Hill, whose story had become one of the most prominent miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Hill was one of the Guildford Four — four individuals wrongfully convicted in 1975 of IRA pub bombings in Guildford, England, and sentenced to life imprisonment. After spending 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Hill's conviction was quashed in 1989 following revelations of police misconduct and fabricated evidence. His case drew international attention to the failings of the British criminal justice system. Courtney stood by Hill during his legal struggles, and their marriage brought further public awareness to his case. They later divorced.
Later Life and Personal Loss
Courtney has worked as a film producer and activist, continuing the Kennedy family's tradition of civic engagement. Her life was marked by profound grief in 2019, when her daughter Saoirse Kennedy Hill died of an accidental drug overdose at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, at the age of 22. The loss was a devastating one for the family and prompted renewed public dialogue about mental health and addiction.
Family Context
Mary Courtney Kennedy is the child of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. They married (1) Jeffrey Ruhe (m. 1980, div. 1990); (2) Paul Hill (m. 1993) and had 1 child: Saoirse Roisin Kennedy Hill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Courtney Kennedy's first husband?
Courtney Kennedy was married to Paul Hill, one of the Guildford Four, who was wrongfully convicted of IRA bombings in England and spent 15 years in prison before his exoneration in 1989.
What happened to Courtney Kennedy's daughter?
Courtney's daughter Saoirse Kennedy Hill died on August 1, 2019, of an accidental drug overdose at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. She was 22 years old.