The couple, who have never been involved in any scandal, suffered the loss of one of their daughters seven months ago. Today, they are full-time grandparents.
While Jackie Kennedy shielded her son John from the young women who approached him because of his last name, the former first lady took it upon herself to formally introduce her daughter Caroline (68) to Edwin Arthur Schlossberg (80). It was in 1981 when that unknown man of Orthodox Jewish roots accepted Jackie's proposal to collaborate on a book about visual culture theory and communication.
At that time, Edwin was an author and artist known for his pioneering interactive installations in museums and public spaces. In 1977, he founded his own firm, ESI Design. After graduating in Fine Arts from Harvard, Caroline started working at the Metropolitan Museum (The Met) in the film and television projects department. She worked as an assistant to Karl Katz, a close friend of her mother who had been a curator at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and later the director of the Jewish Museum in Manhattan.
So, the paths of Caroline and Edwin could not have been better paved, who, after an initial contact, began to see each other regularly. The paparazzi barely followed her because she kept a low profile, did not attract much interest, and there was an unwritten rule at the museum not to provide information about her. But with John-John and Jackie, it was different. In fact, a judge in 1982 prohibited the paparazzo Ron Galella from photographing them after repeatedly violating a previous restraining order.
Five years later, they got engaged. The wedding preparations were almost like a state secret. Jackie took care of sending out the invitations, designed by the groom along with a partner, which read: "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis requests the honor of your presence at the wedding of her daughter, Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, to Edwin Arthur Schlossberg on July 19, 1986, at 3 p.m., at Our Lady of Victory Church, Centerville, Massachusetts."
Above all, Jackie prohibited the dissemination of details about the wedding until they themselves sent out five pages with all the details, as announced by Nancy Tuckerman, personal assistant and confidante of the former first lady since her time in the White House. Her loyalty remained until both their deaths.
As expected, the bride surprised with her dress, a design by Carolina Herrera, one of Jackie's favorite designers, with puffed sleeves. The design garnered so much attention that, the following year Carolina Herrera launched her first bridal collection.
Caroline had seven bridesmaids, her cousin Maria Shriver was the maid of honor -she had married Arnold Schwarzenegger three months earlier-, her brother John was the best man, and her uncle Ted walked her down the aisle in the absence of her father, President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.
Rose, the matriarch of the clan and the bride's grandmother, offered the Kennedy's two-hectare complex in Hyannis Port for the reception, although she couldn't attend due to her delicate health and advanced age. It was in this residential area facing the Atlantic where the Kennedy girls, Jackie's sisters-in-law, made life difficult for her because they were always competing with each other.
After a secret honeymoon in Hawaii, the Schlossberg-Kennedy couple acquired an apartment in a Park Avenue building, five minutes from the residence Jackie Kennedy bought on Fifth Avenue, where she passed away from cancer in 1994 just before turning 65.
The former widow of America enjoyed very little time with her three grandchildren, Rose (38) -a writer and producer who lives in California with her wife, Rory McAuliffe-, Tatiana, who passed away last December due to myeloid leukemia, and John, known as Jack, (32), who recently lost the Democratic primary for a seat in the 12th district of New York in the House of Representatives. The young man has followed the family legacy as his mother served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan (2013-2017) and Australia (2022-2024).
Throughout these 40 years of marriage, Caroline and Edwin have opted for discretion. They have never been involved in any scandal, are well-regarded in the neighborhood, and usually do not attend public events together. They are also loyal to their loved ones, as evidenced by their commitment to finding a home for Marta Sgubin, the housekeeper, cook, and confidante of Jackie whose dedication to the family began in 1969 as a governess to Caroline and John. She later cared for Rose, Tatiana, and John.
Undoubtedly, Caroline has suffered greatly from the early loss of her parents, her brother, and recently her daughter. Her heart still aches, which is why she and her husband decided to temporarily move to the Park Avenue apartment where Tatiana lived with her husband, Dr. George Moran, and their two children, Edwin (4) and Josephine (2). This way, the Schlossberg-Kennedy couple helps their son-in-law with daily tasks.