9 Surprising Facts About JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Romance

America may not have a royal family, but the Kennedys came pretty close. John F. Kennedy’s short but eventful presidency earned the nickname “Camelot,” and his son JFK Jr. became known as “America’s Prince.” But it wasn’t until the lawyer’s romance with the stylish Carolyn Bessette played out in the public eye that their status as unofficial American royalty was fully cemented.

Now, the new FX series Love Story, inspired by Elizabeth Beller’s biography of Bessette, brings the ’90s’ most iconic couple back into the spotlight—though the show takes a few creative liberties along the way. But JFK Jr. and Bessette were more than a glamorous couple or a tragic plane crash, and there are plenty of little-known facts about their real-life romance that the series doesn’t always show.

1. Their romance began in a dressing room.

A mutual friend introduction is an ideal way to meet the love of your life—especially when that friend is American fashion icon Calvin Klein. While it’s unclear whether the designer formally introduced them, he was at the very least the common denominator in their connection. Carolyn Bessette spent seven years at Calvin Klein, rising from sales associate to publicist and assisting with high-profile celebrity fittings—including one for JFK Jr. Some accounts say the pair first met at a fundraiser, while others, including Beller, place their meet-cute in a VIP fitting room in 1992. Either way, CK is the reason CBK and JFK Jr. met—and soon fell in love.

2. They even shared the same dominant hand.

Behind the luxury of their Tribeca loft, star-studded parties, and secret getaways, little quirks about the A-list couple often slipped under the radar. But while JFK Jr. and Bessette differed in background and personality, they shared one thing for sure: left-handedness. Unlike his father, the Kennedy heir was known for being left-handed, and various photos show Bessette holding keys and drinks with her left hand, suggesting they were two sides of the same coin (or, in this case, arm).

3. JFK Jr. popped the question on a fishing boat.

Despite their city-centered lives, JFK Jr. and Bessette loved escaping to nature, often spending long weekends in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. In fact, JFK Jr. had taken his at-the-time girlfriend on a Fourth of July fishing trip there when he asked her to marry him in 1995, after a year of dating. Bessette may have been stranded in the middle of a lake, but that didn't stop her from saying no—at least at first. The New York native waited three weeks to accept his proposal, which was set in stone with a platinum wedding band studded with diamonds and sapphires.

4. Carolyn and Jackie Kennedy never crossed paths.

Speaking of wedding bands, the ring JFK Jr. bestowed upon his soon-to-be betrothed was modeled after his mother Jackie's famous "swimming ring." But the family heirloom was the closest Bessette would ever get to her: Jackie died in 1994 before JFK Jr. could introduce them. Their failure to cross paths became one of many points of contention between the couple throughout their rocky relationship and even led to a temporary breakup.

5. Carolyn's mother warned JFK Jr. about flying.

On the other hand, JFK Jr. did get to meet his mother-in-law, Ann Freeman. As is often the case, Freeman proved that mother knows best. Bessette's mom warned JFK Jr. never to pilot a plane with her two daughters, Carolyn and Lauren, on board at the same time. But the warning was unheeded: the sisters boarded JFK Jr.'s private plane to the wedding of Kennedy’s cousin Rory in Massachusetts, just one year after he got his pilot's license, leading to their untimely deaths off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in 1999.

6. JFK Jr. and Carolyn were (pet) parents.

For many New Yorkers, love and marriage are followed by a fur-baby in a carriage rather than an actual infant—and the Kennedys were no exception. Countless paparazzi photos show the couple strolling around downtown Manhattan with their purebred Canaan dog, Friday, whom they adopted together. But Friday wasn’t their only pet: Bessette also had a shiny black cat named Ruby, a gift from her husband.

7. They often opted for local gems over luxury dining.

When they weren't nibbling on hors d'oeuvres at charity events and fashion shows, JFK Jr. and Bessette could be found at low-key restaurants near their Tribeca home. It was said that Bessette would get her burger fix at The Odeon, a classic downtown dining institution, and the two were often photographed in front of Bubby's, a breakfast spot in Tribeca where Kennedy and his wife ordered anything from blueberry pancakes to matzo ball soup.

8. They tied the knot by candlelight.

JFK Jr. and Bessette's wedding night in 1996 was one of the only times in their relationship where they could escape the flash of cameras—and apparently, any form of light at all. Their intimate wedding took place on Cumberland Island, Georgia, at a chapel so quaint that it didn't have electricity. Instead, the wedding was lit entirely by candles, an inconvenient albeit romantic detail of their big day.

9. A flight instructor was supposed to accompany JFK Jr. on the fatal flight.

The bar wasn’t the only exam JFK Jr. passed: he earned his private pilot’s license in 1998, logging 310 hours of flight time, including 55 at night. Tragically, that training wasn’t enough. Experts concluded he likely crashed his Piper Saratoga due to spatial disorientation on a hazy July night while flying to Hyannis Port. One of his instructors had been scheduled to accompany him, but JFK Jr. insisted he “wanted to do it alone.” The National Transportation Safety Board later noted the instructor had been uneasy about leaving him at the controls, given the route and weather conditions.