Death of Bernadette Chirac at 93 – Télé 2 Semaines

Very weakened for years, Bernadette Chirac took her last breath at the age of 93. His daughter Claude Chirac announced his death this Saturday June 6, 2026 to AFP. Born Bernadette Chodron de Courcel in Paris in May 1933, the wife of Jacques Chirac marked the history of France as first lady, but not only that.

It was during her studies at Sciences Pô, at the beginning of the 1950s, that young Bernadette met Jacques Chirac, also a student. It was love at first sight between them. And with all due respect to the young woman’s family, who took a dim view of this union, they married in 1956.

Bernadette Chirac never recovered from the death of her eldest daughter, Laurence

Bernadette gave birth to two daughters, Laurence in 1958 and Claude in 1962. Following meningitis, the eldest developed anorexia nervosa and made several suicide attempts.

On April 14, 2016, Laurence died of a heart attack at the age of 58. Devastated, Bernadette never really recovered from this tragic disappearance. The couple “adopted” Ahn Daô, a Vietnamese refugee then aged 21, in 1979. This girl of heart lived for two years with the Chiracs before taking off.

Bernadette Chirac was also grandmother of Martin born in 1996, son of Claude and Thierry Rey.

Bernadette Chirac was also elected in politics

On the political level, she was involved in the political destiny of her husband Jacques, prime minister under Valéry Giscard d’Estaingmayor of Paris in 1977 then prime minister again from 1986 to 1988 under François Mitterrand before being elected President of the Republic from 1995 to 2007.

But Bernadette also leads her own life. She is the only wife of the President of the Republic to have held elected office: she was general councilor of Corrèze from 1979 then deputy of the elected candidate of the canton of Brive-la-Gaillarde 2.

Bernadette Chirac inseparable from Operation Yellow Pieces

But she was also very involved in humanitarian work and charitable associations. She was president of theAssociation for the Promotion of Urban Arts then the Hôpitaux de Paris-Hôpitaux de France foundation from 1994.

She gained popularity and notoriety, thanks to the “Yellow Pieces” operation, a project which followed her until her death and should continue. Bernadette Chirac knew how to impose her mark, between a slightly polished elegance “old France” and unfailing pugnacity when she defended the causes in which she was involved.

A strong woman, a discreet woman, Bernadette Chirac also took up her pen in 2001, writing Conversation (Plon) with Patrick de Carolisa huge bookstore success since 450,000 copies were sold.

In this biography, for the first time, the one who seemed a bit austere spoke in complete freedom. She spoke with relish and sincerity about her childhood, the war, her marriage with its ups and downs, her life as a mother, her role as First Lady, her Chirac and the battles she fought.