Bernadette Chirac, former French first lady, dies at 93

Bernadette Chirac, the former first lady of France who stood beside President Jacques Chirac for 12 years while building her own political and charitable legacy, has died at the age of 93. Her death was confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said she had left her mark on French history and changed the lives of millions through her charitable work.

Born Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chodron de Courcel in Paris in 1933, she met Jacques Chirac while both were students at the prestigious Sciences Po university. They married in 1956, beginning a 63-year partnership that spanned his political ascent, which included two terms as prime minister, 18 years as mayor of Paris, and the presidency from 1995 to 2007.

While publicly dedicated to her husband's career, she was widely regarded as a formidable political operator in her own right. She cultivated a power base in the couple's rural stronghold of Corrèze, serving as a municipal councilor in Sarran from 1971 and as a general councilor for the department from 1979 to 2015. After her husband left office, she famously stated, "My husband no longer does politics, but I do."

Her public image was defined by a classic elegance, often...