What We Know About Madeleine Albright's Children

The world lost a groundbreaking and influential public figure with the death of Madeleine Albright. America's first female secretary of state died of cancer on March 23, 2022, at age 84. As CNN reported, Albright fought passionately for human rights when she served during the Clinton administration. She called for NATO to take action against Serbia's then-leader Slobodan Milosevic and his attempts to wipe out the Muslim population of the Bosnian province of Kosovo. Her peacekeeping efforts didn't always succeed, however. Israel and Palestine are still at odds, and North Korea remains a threat.

But as the daughter of Jewish-born Czechoslovakian parents who fled to the U.S. to escape the Nazis, Albright was acutely aware of the dire consequences of allowing brutal dictators to succeed. Her final social media message to the world was a tweet on March 8, commenting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "From Kabul to Kyiv and beyond, women and girls are on the front lines in the struggle for freedom and human dignity. On this #InternationalWomensDay my heart is with all those fighting for a better, peaceful and more equal future," she wrote. 

Albright was also more than her political résumé, impressive as it was. As her family wrote on Twitter, Albright was known first and foremost as "a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend." Among other family members, the former secretary of state is survived by her three daughters: Anne, Alice, and Katie Albright.

Born Marie Jana Korbelova in Prague, Madeleine Albright was previously married to Joseph Medill Patterson Albright, whose family owned a large newspaper corporation, according to The Washington Post. The couple had three daughters: twins Anne and Alice, followed by Katherine five years later. Together, the Albright daughters made their mother a proud grandmother six times over.

Alice Patterson Albright is following in her mother's sizable footsteps through her work in government. On February 16, 2022, MCC reported that she was named a Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a federal agency that offers grants to programs helping reduce poverty and boost economic growth in underserved countries. "I am deeply honored to join the MCC team and grateful for the trust President Biden has put in me," Alice said in her acceptance speech. "MCC is truly a gem among U.S. foreign assistance agencies, leading our government's efforts to deliver global infrastructure investments alongside policy reforms in energy, transportation, agriculture, education, and more—all critical sectors to reducing poverty through sustainable and inclusive economic growth." 

Previously, Alice served as CEO of the Global Partnership for Education. In a 2020 interview with the Aspen Institute, she spoke glowingly of a childhood that had allowed her to grow up and pursue her dreams. "Growing up, we could not have been more lucky. It never crossed our minds, ever, that we couldn't do exactly what we wanted. We were privileged," she said.

Madeleine Albright became a mother for the first time with the birth of her daughters Alice and Anne. But, as often happens in multiple births, the girls were born prematurely, and they spent weeks in intensive care. Albright devoted her time to sitting at their side until they were well enough to be discharged. She kept herself busy by studying Russian and decided to pursue her Ph.D., per Aspen Institute.

Anne Korbel Albright inherited her mother's passion for justice. A graduate of Dartmouth and an honors graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, she was quickly admitted to both the Maryland and D.C. bars. Anne — who was formerly a public defender — currently serves as an associate judge on the Montgomery County (MD) District Court, as the Maryland government website outlines. Despite her selfless profession, Madeleine wasn't on board with Anne's career choice at first. 

"Mom was horrified," Anne said during a 2009 interview with the World Council Affairs of Northern California (via Romper), recalling Madeleine's initial displeasure with her daughter's choice to become public defender. In fact, Anne once called her mother to let her know she'd be late for dinner, as she was "in jail [talking to a client]." It took a few more similar phone calls for Madeleine to accept her daughter's risky line of work.

While Madeleine Albright's twin daughters pursued careers in law and government, her third child, Katherine "Katie" Medill Albright, chose a different form of public service. The law school graduate is currently the chief executive officer of Safe and Sound in San Francisco, which is "dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, the promotion of healthy families, and the mental health of children," according to their official website. 

Per her LinkedIn page, Katie previously held a number of related positions. From 1996-2003, she worked as a city attorney representing public schools, in addition to serving as co-director of Policy & Outreach at Preschool California. According to her Aspen Institute bio, she also co-founded a nursery school in Nairobi, Kenya, which perhaps spurred her interest in early childhood education. Katie's Twitter page offers a glimpse into other topics close to her heart. Per Safe and Sound, she recently opposed Texas Governor Greg Abbott's classification of gender-affirming care for transgender youth as "child abuse," and retweeted press articles discussing the connection between cash aid to poor mothers and the subsequent growth in brain development in their children. In a heartfelt essay for the Aspen Institute, Katie called for an overhaul to the child welfare system, which she asserted is biased against families of color. "When we transform systems, build community, and strengthen families, we protect children," she concluded.