Inside JFK Granddaughter's Private Funeral: Biden, Kerry Join Kennedy Family to Pay Respects

Former President Joe Biden joined the Kennedy family and high-profile politicians at a private Manhattan funeral on Monday to mourn Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's granddaughter who died aged 35 following a battle with leukaemia.

The service took place at The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola on the Upper East Side on 5 January, according to Fox News. The church held deep significance for the family - it was the site of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's funeral in May 1994.

Schlossberg, an environmental journalist and author, passed away on 30 December following an 18-month battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. She was diagnosed in May 2024, shortly after giving birth to her second child.

Biden Wipes Away Tears Leaving Service

Biden was photographed leaving the church with his wife Jill, reportedly wiping away tears. The former president maintained a close relationship with the Kennedy family throughout his political career.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry, who served in both the Obama and Biden administrations, attended the invitation-only service. The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee was photographed amongst other mourners outside the historic church.

Other political figures included former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Ed Markey, and Obama strategist David Axelrod.

Several media personalities also paid their respects. Late-night host David Letterman, Saturday Night Live veteran Seth Meyers, and musician Jon Batiste were amongst those photographed exiting. David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker which published Schlossberg's essay about her diagnosis, also attended.

Fashion designer Carolina Herrera, who created Schlossberg's 2017 wedding dress, was seen amongst the mourners.

Kennedy Family Says Final Goodbye

Schlossberg's mother, Caroline Kennedy, arrived with her family. The former US Ambassador to Australia, who served from 2022 to 2024, was joined by Tatiana's father, designer Edwin Schlossberg.

Her widower, Dr George Moran, was photographed with their two young children, son Edwin and daughter Josephine. The couple married in 2017.

Tatiana's siblings, Jack Schlossberg and Rose Schlossberg, walked into the church together.

Extended family members included cousins Kerry Kennedy and Joe Kennedy III, as well as Maria Shriver, who wrote an emotional tribute following Tatiana's death.

A source told Page Six it was 'a beautiful family and a beautiful service for a beautiful life', adding there were 'lots of hugs'.

The priest delivered a eulogy, and Jack spoke during the service alongside other family members and friends.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tatiana's uncle and President Trump's Health Secretary, was not seen amongst visible attendees. Relations between them were reportedly strained over his opposition to medical research funding and vaccine promotion.

'My Kids Won't Remember Me'

Born in New York City, Schlossberg built her career focused on climate and environmental issues. She earned a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University and a master's from the University of Oxford.

She publicly shared her experience with cancer in a November 2025 essay for The New Yorker.

'My parents and my brother and sister, too, have been raising my children and sitting in my various hospital rooms almost every day for the last year and a half,' she wrote.

She described the shock of the diagnosis whilst hospitalised after childbirth. 'I did not - could not - believe that they were talking about me,' she wrote. 'I had swum a mile in the pool the day before, nine months pregnant. I wasn't sick.'

After doctors gave her 'a year, maybe' to live, her first thought was heartbreaking: 'My kids, whose faces live permanently on the inside of my eyelids, wouldn't remember me.'

The JFK Library Foundation announced her death on 30 December, sharing a photograph of Schlossberg with her husband and children taken on Martha's Vineyard in September.

'Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,' the foundation stated.