Former First Lady of France, Bernadette Chirac, dies at age 93

Bernadette Chirac, wife of former French President Jacques Chirac (1995-2007), died at the age of 93, French media reported Saturday, citing her family.

According to a statement from her daughter, Claude Chirac, to Agence France-Presse, the former First Lady died peacefully on the evening of Friday (June 5), surrounded by her family.

Born Bernadette Chodron de Courcel in May 1933, she met her future husband, Jacques Chirac, at Sciences Po in 1950 and supported him throughout his political career.

A departmental councillor for Corrèze, Bernadette Chirac was involved in numerous charitable causes, notably the "Pieces Jaunes" campaign aimed at improving the lives of hospitalized patients.

Bernadette and Jacques Chirac, who died on September 26, 2019, had two daughters: Laurence, who died in 2016, and Claude, born in 1962.

-Michaela Cabrera/Reuters