Katherine Schwarzenegger pays tribute to family after death of Saoirse Kennedy Hill

Katherine Schwarzenegger has paid tribute to her “loving” family following the death of her second cousin, Saoirse Kennedy Hill.

Last week, the granddaughter of the late US politician Robert F. Kennedy died following an apparent overdose at the family’s compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

Dozens of members of the extended Kennedy clan as well as the 22-year-old’s friends filled a Cape Cod church on Monday to pay their final respects to the student.

On Tuesday evening, Schwarzenegger – who is eldest child of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and broadcast journalist Maria Shriver – shared a reflective post on Instagram about the importance of keeping your loved ones close.

Alongside a scenic sunset photo of the Kennedy family’s Hyannis Port estate, Schwarzenegger praised her relatives for being “supportive and strong” and expressed her gratitude to have them all in her life.

“After wiping away the tears, after the beautiful sunsets, there is always a new day,” the caption read.

“It’s not the big events or pretty things that hold you up at the end of the day, it’s family. I feel so incredibly blessed to be part of such a loving, supportive and strong family that shows up in good times and in tough times.

“I love each and every one of them and am so grateful to have them in my life.”

Kennedy Hill was the child of Paul Michael Hill annd Courtney Kennedy Hill, former US attorney general Robert Kennedy’s daughter.

According to The New York Times, the student was at the home of her grandmother, Ethel Kennedy, 91, on Thursday afternoon, when emergency personnel were called.

She was taken to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, where she was later pronounced dead.

The Kennedy family confirmed the young woman’s death in a statement, which read: “Our hearts are shattered by the loss of our beloved Saoirse.

“Her life was filled with hope, promise and love... She lit up our lives with her love, her peals of laughter and her generous spirit. Saoirse was passionately moved by the causes of human rights and women’s empowerment and found great joy in volunteer work, working alongside indigenous communities to build schools in Mexico.

“We will love her and miss her forever.”

While this was the first time that Schwarzenegger personally spoke out about the tragedy, other members of the immediate family were quick to send their condolences shortly after news broke of Kennedy Hill’s death.

Last Friday, Schwarzenegger’s mother, Shriver, who is the niece of Robert, John and Ted Kennedy, shared an Instagram post in which she called for the young woman’s death to serve as a reminder for everyone to be kinder and more compassionate to one another.

“A brave young woman left our world yesterday. She left a gaping hole in the lives of all those who loved her dearly,” Shriver wrote.

“May God bless her. May God hold her parents during this unbearable hour and give them the strength to make it thru [sic]. Amen.”