There Are Fewer Differences Between Princess Diana & Carolyn Kennedy Than You Might Think. Here's Why

At first glance, the Kennedy family's "Camelot" moniker might seem to imply a connection to British royal history. However, the nickname is actually a reference to the musical "Camelot" –- part of a quintessentially American theatrical contribution. Even so, while Princess Diana married into royalty and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy married into a family of prominent U.S. politicians, the two women share many similarities. On the surface, they're both blonde, blue-eyed beauties.

They also experienced tremendous career and personal upheaval due to their high-profile romances. Diana's pre-royal resume focused on childcare before she transitioned to working for The Firm after she married King Charles. Unfortunately, public interest in her as a royal bride-to-be resulted in Diana being caught on camera wearing a too-sheer skirt in 1980, creating a bumpy start to her life in the public eye. Like Diana, Carolyn initially envisioned working with kids as an elementary school teacher. Instead, she ended up working for Calvin Klein, and her fashion savvy made her a skilled salesperson and paved the way for promotions to increasingly senior roles. She, too, left her job around the time of her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr. and worked with him on his magazine business.

Unfortunately, JFK Jr. and Carolyn's marriage had some glaring red flags, and some occurred before their wedding, like a blowout, headline-making fight outdoors in New York City. Charles and Diana also showed signs their relationship wouldn't last, but they weren't public knowledge until much later.

While Princess Diana likely had less of a learning curve with the public-facing aspects of royal life, (she even lived a in a palatial home, Althorp House, before she met King Charles), Carolyn Bessette Kennedy had a much tougher time dealing with her loss of privacy. John F. Kennedy Jr. was a baby when his family moved into the White House, so he lived his entire life in the public eye. Unfortunately, this lack of perspective meant that JFK Jr. couldn't empathize with Carolyn's feelings. Instead, he thought she should be more collaborative with the media. "Friends now say that was a shortcoming on his part," author Liz McNeil informed the BBC. "He didn't give her the emotional support she needed and/or didn't know how to help her."

In different circumstances, Diana and Carolyn might have formed an empathetic bond. They even had the opportunity to cross paths at Gianni Versace's funeral. Tragically, Diana died soon after. Carolyn already had an uncomfortable relationship with the press, and the tragedy increased her own safety concerns. "Carolyn was horrified by Diana's death," RoseMarie Terenzio, a family friend, recalled to People in 2017. "She feared, 'Now they're going to focus on us even more because they don't have her.'"

Carolyn was 33 –- three years younger than Diana –- when she died. In her case, she was traveling with her husband when their plane crashed. JFK Jr. had been flying for less than two years, and bad weather complicated their journey.