Bernadette Chirac, the widow of former French president Jacques Chirac and a prominent political figure in her own right, has died at the age of 93, her daughter Claude Chirac announced on Saturday.
Born Bernadette Chodron de Courcel in Paris in 1933, she married Jacques Chirac in 1956 after the pair met while studying at Sciences Po. She remained by his side throughout his political rise, accompanying him through ministerial posts, the premiership, the Paris mayoralty, and ultimately to the presidency in 1995.
Bernadette Chirac was the only French first lady to hold elected office in her own name, serving continuously as a departmental councillor in Corrèze from 1979 to 2015. Widely recognised for her political instincts, she became a popular public figure during her husband's presidency, particularly through her leadership of the Pièces Jaunes charity campaign supporting hospitalised children.
Known for her conservative views and strong political judgement, she was said to have warned her husband against the failed dissolution of parliament in 1997 and alerted him to the growing support for far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen ahead of the 2002 presidential election.
In his memoirs, Jacques Chirac described her as "the woman of my life", writing: "We accomplished so much together."
