The famed Kennedy family has endured yet another tragedy involving one of its older members of what is arguably the closest thing the U.S. has to a royal family.

Ethel Kennedy, 96, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy and mother of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reportedly suffered a stroke last week and is currently hospitalized, according to the Associated Press.

She is the current family's matriarch and the last surviving link to the "Camelot" era of the Kennedy clan which included her late husband and his brother, former President John F. Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated, and JFK's wife, former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who passed away in 1994.

Hospitalized following a stroke

In a statement posted to X on Tuesday, daughter Kerry Kennedy said, "I wanted to let you know about my incredible mother, Ethel Kennedy."

"She has had a great summer and transition into fall. Every day she enjoyed time with her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren," the statement shared. "She was able to get out on the water, visit the pier, and enjoy many lunches and dinners with family. It has been a gift to all of us and to her as well."

"Unfortunately, on Thursday morning she suffered a stroke in her sleep," the family revealed. "She was brought to an area hospital, where she is now receiving treatment. She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible and she is surrounded by family."

"She is, as you know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are looking after her," Kerry added. "Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. I ask that you respect our family's privacy at this time."

The family matriarch

WBTS, the local NBC affiliate in Boston, Massachusetts, reported that Ethel Kennedy, who launched the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation in honor of her late husband, was honored for her work by former President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in 2014.

She was at her husband's side when the former Attorney General and U.S. Senator from New York, who had just won the Democratic Party's presidential primary in California, was assassinated in a Los Angeles hotel in 1968 -- just five years after his brother, President JFK, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

Ethel reportedly split her time between the family's famed compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and the warmer environs of Palm Beach, Florida, per the AP. It is not clear which location she was at when she suffered the stroke or where she is currently hospitalized.

She mothered 11 children, including RFK Jr., who as of Thursday appears to have no made any public comment on social media about his mother's reported stroke and hospitalization.

An activist and advocate

The AP noted that following her husband's assassination in 1968, Ethel Kennedy founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights that, as the name implies, seeks to defend justice and human rights through activism, education, inspiration, and litigation.

She was herself an activist who remained dedicated to her causes until just a few years ago, including participating in various protests and strikes over the years.

Some of the causes Ethel was most devoted to included advocating for stricter gun control laws, protecting the environment through the Earth Conservation Corps, and supporting the Special Olympics, among others.