The children’s time in the White House ended with undeniable tragedy. On November 22, 1963, both of their parents were in Dallas, Texas, unofficially campaigning for John F. Kennedy’s reelection. When their motorcade entered Dealey Plaza at midday, the president was abruptly shot and killed.
Telling the president’s children was an especially awful task that ultimately fell to their nanny, Maud Shaw. Jackie Kennedy’s mother, Janet Auchincloss, asked Shaw to break it to the children. As Shaw later wrote in her memoir, “White House Nannie,” she managed to get the children through their bedtime routine despite the mounting dread. With John Jr. asleep, she started to read to Caroline but could not stop crying. When the young girl asked what was wrong, Shaw said, “I can’t help crying Caroline, because I have some very sad news to tell you.” After an intense round of crying, Caroline eventually fell asleep, and Shaw stayed up for hours.
Jackie was reportedly upset that the children didn’t hear of their father’s death directly from their mother. Perhaps that’s why there were reports of a growing iciness between mother and nanny, to the point where Shaw was abruptly told she would no longer be needed after the family traveled to England in 1965. When Shaw published her memoir the next year, Jackie was reportedly upset at what she believed to be a serious breach of privacy, though Shaw’s recollections were more than favorable to the family.
