Washington DC

Biden delivers eulogy at Ethel Kennedy memorial service in DC

The widow of Robert F. Kennedy and matriarch of the powerful political dynasty died last week at 96

Ethel Kennedy attends the 30th Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Awards Ceremony, in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, November 21, 2013, in Washington, DC. Ragia Omran, Egyptian human rights attorney and women’s rights activist,  was selected for the award in June out of a field of 111 nominees.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As the Bay State continues to honor the life of Ethel Kennedy, our nation's leaders paid their respects on Wednesday.

A memorial service for the late Kennedy matriarch was held in Washington, D.C.

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President Joe Biden delivered the final eulogy, while former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton also spoke.

Other speakers included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Martin Luther King III, while musicians Stevie Wonder, Sting and Kenny Chesney performed.

Since Kennedy's death last Thursday, renewed light has been cast on her legacy and accomplishments. The wife of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, she raised 11 children after her husband's 1968 assassination. She was a staunch advocate for environmental ethics, gun control and poverty reduction. Her commitment to social justice was evident as she founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

The service began at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.

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