'They will comfort Lauren for eternity': The 'forgotten' third passenger on the flight that killed Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr

The tragic deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr and his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in a plane crash shocked the world 27 years ago.

They were an American golden couple, young and beautiful and taken before their time – some would say by the 'Kennedy curse'.

But John and Carolyn weren't the only passengers on that plane, and they weren't the only lives lost on July 16, 1999.

So who was Lauren Bessette, the third passenger tragically killed in the crash, and why has history seemingly forgotten her?

On July 16, 1999, John, Carolyn and Lauren boarded a private plane to Cape Cod that would crash into the Atlantic Ocean and cut their lives tragically short.

John was the son of an American political dynasty and grew up in the White House; Carolyn, a glamorous fashion publicist who had won the public's hearts with her beauty and charm.

The couple were mourned publicly when the news of their deaths came in, and across the US some more superstitious fans blamed the 'Kennedy curse' for their deaths.

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After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, John's father and namesake, in 1963, then the assassination of John's uncle Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, rumour had spread that the Kennedy family was 'cursed'.

A string of family tragedies spread over decades seemed to prove its existence, and many fans blamed the curse for killing John and his beloved wife.

Yet less is known about Lauren Bessette, Carolyn's older sister and the third passenger on the plane that day.

Lauren, who had a twin sister, Lisa, was always close with Carolyn and lived near her in Manhattan, New York City until their deaths.

Having studied economics and attended several prestigious universities, Lauren was a well-educated businesswoman who tried to avoid the social scene Carolyn was known for dominating.

Despite their different lives, the sisters loved each other deeply and spent much of their time together, sharing a love of fashion and the arts.

Lauren had lived and worked in Hong Kong for several years before returning to New York.

It's understood she was spending a great deal of time with Carolyn and her husband John when the trio decided to travel to Cape Cod in July 1999. Sadly, they would never arrive.

In the wake of the tragic crash in 1999, the public mourned the loss of America's golden couple, but Lauren was largely left out of the spotlight.

Without her sister's public profile or her brother-in-law's Kennedy name, she became a footnote in the heartbreaking story of Carolyn and John's death.

The couple had dominated headlines for years with their relationship, and people were only more interested in the pair in the immediate aftermath of their deaths.

In the decades since the plane crash, John and Carolyn's relationship and deaths have been remembered time and again in the media.

Most recently, they've been immortalised in the TV series Love Story: John F Kennedy, Jr and Carolyn Bessette, though Lauren is also featured.

But it's important to remember they weren't the only lives lost that day, and Lauren Bessette's memory deserves just as much respect.

In a statement after the tragedy, the sisters' parents said, "John and Carolyn were true soul mates and ... we take solace in the thought that together they will comfort Lauren for eternity."

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