Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love and what better way to do than by remembering the heartfelt stories of some of the couples on board RMS Titanic?
Isidor and Ida Straus: A Love That Defied the Waters
For over four decades, Isidor and Ida Straus had been inseparable. Their love story was one of devotion, companionship, and an unwavering bond that time and tragedy could not sever. On April 15, 1912, as chaos unfolded aboard Titanic, Ida was offered a place in Lifeboat 8. She stepped forward, poised to escape the sinking vessel—but then she turned back. Her decision was already made when she said,
"Isidor, we have been together for all these years. Where you go, I go."
Witnesses pleaded with her, but she refused to leave Isidor’s side. Instead, the couple retreated to a pair of deck chairs, hand in hand, as the great ship slipped beneath the waves. In the years that followed, their love was memorialised in the most poignant way: Isidor was laid to rest in the Straus Mausoleum in the Bronx, but Ida’s body was never found. In its place, their family collected water from the wreck site and placed it in an urn, a symbol of their final moments together. Inscribed on their cenotaph, a passage from the Song of Solomon remains a testament to their love:
“Many waters cannot quench love—neither can the floods drown it.”
John and Sarah Chapman: A Marriage Too Short, A Love That Lasted
John and Sarah Chapman had been married just a few short months when they set sail aboard RMS Titanic. Their love was young, their future was full of promise, and their hearts were set on a new life together in America. John had emigrated to Washington years before and now Sarah was joining him to begin their married life.
On the morning of April 15, Sarah followed her friend, Mrs. Richards, toward a lifeboat. The chance to survive was within her grasp. But when she turned back and saw John, she hesitated.
With the words "Goodbye, Mrs. Richards. If John can't go, I won’t go either", she stepped away from safety and into eternity, choosing love. When John’s body was later recovered, among his possessions was Sarah’s handbag and their marriage certificate—a symbol of the life they had planned but never had the chance to live.
Kate and John Bourke: A Promise Kept Until the End
Catherine "Kate" Bourke had once left Ireland for America in search of opportunity, but love brought her back. She returned home, married John Bourke and together they planned to begin a new chapter in Chicago. Accompanying them was John’s sister, Mary, who was eager for a fresh start in the United States.
On the fateful night, the three were asleep when disaster struck. A steward roused them, urging them to dress and head to the upper decks. As lifeboats filled with women and children, Kate had the chance to survive. So did Mary.
"I’ll not leave my husband."
"I’ll not leave my brother."
They both refused to leave and remained together as the icy Atlantic claimed them. Their bodies were never recovered, but their love endured—woven into the fabric of Titanic’s legacy, a testament to devotion, loyalty and the unbreakable bonds of family.
Discover more about the love stories on board RMS Titanic
Titanic Love Stories
The Titanic Experience
The Titanic Experience is the world’s most authentic retelling of the iconic story.
The self-guided tour extends over nine interactive galleries where you discover the sights, sounds, smells and stories of the ship, as well as the people and city that made her.
