The Truth About JFK's Oldest Grandchild, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg

Rose Kennedy Schlossberg hails from the most iconic of American families; the Kennedys, of course. The 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, shared a total of four children. Their first child, Arabella, was born stillborn, and their last child, Patrick, died two days after being born prematurely. The third Kennedy sibling, John Jr., died childless in a plane crash at the age of 38. The only one of JFK and Jackie O's children who went on to have kids of their own was Caroline, the couple's second-born daughter.

Rose Kennedy Schlossberg is the oldest child of Caroline, which makes her the first grandchild of the late president. Rose is known for her uncanny resemblance to her maternal grandmother, which is further accentuated by her Jackie-like bob haircut. While most people recognize her as an actor, Rose is a woman of many talents. From her work in the entertainment industry to her involvement with American politics, here's what you need to know about the extremely private life of the eldest grandchild of the American dynasty.

Born in 1988, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg is the first-born child of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg. Caroline — the only surviving child of John F. Kennedy and an established author and lawyer — has served as the American ambassador to Australia since 2022. Edwin, on the other hand, is an author, designer, and artist who has designed interactive experiences for the likes of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, eBay, and the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Following her 1980 graduation from Harvard with a degree in fine arts, Caroline met Edwin at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while working at the establishment. The couple tied the knot in 1986, going on to welcome three children in 1988, 1990, and 1993 respectively.

Apart from Caroline and Edwin, the person who Rose shared an extremely close bond with was her "Grand Jackie," the former first lady of the United States. Up until her 1994 death, Jackie acted as a third guardian for Rose, often accompanying her beloved granddaughter on several of her excursions. As a matter of fact, it was none other but Jackie who suggested naming Rose after JFK's mother, Rose Kennedy — despite having her own issues with the latter.

Rose Kennedy Schlossberg's younger sister, Tatiana Kennedy Schlossberg, was born in 1990. With a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a master's degree in American history completed at the University of Oxford, Tatiana has pursued a career in environmental journalism, carrying on the legacy of JFK, who was the first U.S. president to raise concerns over the effects of climate change during his time in the White House.

While Tatiana is best known for her articles published by The New York Times, she has also contributed to several high-profile outlets, including The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Vanity Fair. She also wrote a book in 2019 titled, "Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have," which, according to its Goodreads synopsis, deals with how "technology, food, fashion, and fuel" affect the environment. As for her personal life, Tatiana shares a son named Edwin with fellow Yale alum and doctor, George Moran, whom she married in 2017.

Rose and Tatiana's younger brother, John Schlossberg — a.k.a. "Jack" — was born in 1993. Another Yale alumnus, Jack went on to pursue a joint M.B.A. and J.D. program at Harvard University and he passed the bar exam in 2023. Having been involved in politics since a very young age, Jack started assisting former Senator John Kerry as a page in 2009 and became a Senate intern two years later.

In July 1999, when Rose Kennedy Schlossberg was just an 11-year-old, John F. Kennedy Jr. — JFK's son and Rose's maternal uncle — tragically died in a plane crash. On the night of the crash, JFK Jr. was flying the plane himself and traveling to cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding in Martha's Vineyard, accompanied by his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette. The plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Massachusetts after JFK Jr. lost control due to severe fog covering the aircraft's surroundings. Their bodies were found inside the sunken aircraft five days later.

This family tragedy deeply affected little Rose. According to a family member (via the New York Post), "Rose withdrew after John's death. He'd been like a father to her. She went into a six-month depression during which she barely spoke to anyone. She stopped eating — she must have lost 30 pounds." For the time being, the then-11-year-old struggled with her studies, too. Thankfully, she was somewhat able to overcome her grief, and things started falling back into place with time.

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Completing her bachelor's degree in English at Harvard University in 2010, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg pursued a master's degree in interactive telecommunications at New York University. Both of her degrees went on to help her become the well-established actor, producer, and writer that she is today. After serving as a production assistant on projects like "Brick City" and "Hard Times: Lost on Long Island," Rose co-created and starred in the 2016 web series "End Times Girls Club." As she explained to Mashable, "seeing the way that New York responded to Hurricane Sandy, and how people were grossly underprepared — specifically, girls in damsel in distress mode" helped her come up with the concept of the show, which focuses on women surviving an apocalypse in the most comical way possible.

Another big project Rose worked on was the 2017 Netflix docuseries, "TIME: The Kalief Browder Story." The series documents the tragic story of Kalief Browder, an African American man who was arrested at the age of 16 for stealing a backpack. After spending three years in jail — two of them being in solitary confinement — without a trial, Browder was released in 2013, when the allegations were dropped. Unfortunately, Browder committed suicide two years later, leaving the entire nation shaken and calling for prison reform. The documentary was produced by Jay-Z, with Rose serving as a co-writer for each of the series' six episodes.

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Rose Kennedy Schlossberg married restaurateur Rory McAuliffe in May 2022 at one of McAuliffe's restaurants in Ojai, California. The duo wore dresses that were in no way typical bridal gowns. Primarily white, Schlossberg's dress had some beautiful red patterns, while McAuliffe's was a simple yet elegant sheer-white lace dress. The couple also sported similar black, platform shoes. As the National Enquirer published at the time, the couples hosted a total of 300 guests at the ceremony. Although some orthodox Kennedys allegedly refused to witness the same-sex nuptials, the event was reportedly star-studded, with Maria Shriver, Jimmy Buffett, David Letterman, and Jason Segel in attendance.

In May 2023, Radar Online reported that the pair was looking forward to conceiving via IVF. According to the outlet, an insider claimed that the couple's decision left "devout Catholics" in the famous Kennedy family "torn," although Rose's mother, Caroline, was immensely supportive of the duo.

While the Kennedy curse is a much-debated topic, there's no doubt the family is struck by tragic events every now and then — be it accidents, deaths, or other catastrophes. Rose Kennedy Schlossberg is no exception. In late December 2023, her wife's Ojai farm-to-table restaurant, Rory's Place, caught on fire, which took an hour and a half to put out. By the time the blaze was extinguished, it had already destroyed the eatery, the gates of which were opened the previous year. According to a January 2024 post shared by the eatery's Instagram account, the restaurant was working on renovations and hoping to open their doors again.

In a February 2023 interview with Remodelista, Rory McAuliffe explained how the restaurant was years in the making. "Rory's Place is a collaboration between us — sisters Rory and Meave McAuliffe," she elaborated. "We grew up playing in the kitchen of our mom's bakery in Santa Monica in the 1990s, and we've been cooking together ever since." While Rory helped design and decorate the place, Meave served as the head chef. The restaurant holds a special place in Rose's heart as well. In April 2023, Rose helped host a children's event, handing out cups of coffee and reading books to the kids.

In December 2008, Caroline Kennedy decided to try and fill in a U.S. Senate seat in the state of New York that Hillary Clinton was about to vacate after becoming Secretary of State. Among her supporters was her eldest child, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg. As Rose wrote in an email to The Harvard Crimson at the time, "I think it's an exciting prospect and look forward to whatever role my mom chooses to play in this new era of American politics."

However, when Caroline became a much-criticized candidate after failing to perform well in interviews, Rose reportedly suggested she quit the race. Caroline took Rose's advice and announced her decision in late January 2009. That same year, Rose served on Democrat Alan Khazei's campaign for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts as a volunteer. In 2008, Rose also donated money to Barack Obama's campaign.

Although Rose's political views haven't made headlines in a while, it can be assumed that she's against her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s, 2024 presidential campaign — especially because her political standpoint is pretty similar to that of her mother and siblings. After Rose's brother, Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, posted an Instagram video in July 2023 saying RFK Jr.'s controversial run is "an embarrassment," Caroline defended her son, noting on "Today" (via People), "I know what I think, I know what Jack thinks, I know what [RFK Jr.] thinks. And so, it's not complicated."