The end of Camelot: The Kennedy familys vicious in-fighting, and how one death paved the way

Last April, more than 50 members of the Kennedy clan came together to celebrate the 96th birthday of matriarch Ethel Kennedy, crowding together for a photo in her living room.After her death in October, and the vicious family infighting that has marked Robert F.“Bobby” Kennedy Jr.’s Senate confirmation hearings this past week, the picture may be the last vestige of Camelot.That golden age, which is associated with the storied Irish-American Democratic dynasty and John F.

Kennedy’s presidency in the early 1960s, was already in trouble when the photo was taken.Just days later, six of Ethel’s children with Robert F.Kennedy Sr.

—  former Maryland Lt.Gov.

Kathleen Kennedy, former US Rep.Joe Kennedy II, human rights activist Kerry Kennedy, filmmaker Rory Kennedy, lawyer Max Kennedy and businessman Christopher Kennedy — rebuked their brother Bobby’s then-presidential campaign by calling it “dangerous” and publicly endorsing Joe Biden.Now, though, “What we’re seeing is the self-destruction of the Kennedy family,” Laurence Leamer, author of “The Kennedy Women” and “The Kennedy Men,” told The Post.

“For three generations they were holding together against the world, and wouldn’t dare speak out against each other.That’s over.”It came to an abrupt end, he said, when Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, the daughter of former president John F.

Kennedy, posted a vicious letter Tuesday about her cousin on the eve of his hearings for his appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services.“I’ve known Bobby his whole life,” said the 67-year-old former ambassador to Australia.“It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because Bobby himself is a predator.”In urging senators to reject his nomination, she went on to air more dirty laundry, including blaming RFK Jr.

for getting other Kennedy family members hooked on drugs.“But siblings and cousins who Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse suffered addictio...