Bernadette Chirac, widow of former French president Jacques Chirac, died peacefully on June 5, 2026, at age 93 surrounded by family, her daughter Claude Chirac said: "She passed away peacefully surrounded by her family in the evening" [1].
Born on May 18, 1933, Bernadette had just turned 93 before her death [1, 2]. She married Jacques Chirac in 1956, who served as France's president from 1995 to 2007 and died in 2019 [1, 3, 4, 2]. The former president once called her "the woman of my life," crediting her political advice and support [2].
Bernadette Chirac was the only French first lady to hold elected office in her own name, serving as a general councillor for Corrèze from 1979 to 2015, a 36-year tenure [1, 2, 5]. She played a significant behind-the-scenes role in her husband's political career and remained active locally after his presidency ended [3, 4, 2].
She was known for enduring her husband's multiple infidelities with humor and dignity. She once said, "At first it was hard. I was heartbroken. Then I got used to it. I told myself that’s how things were and I had to accept it with as much dignity as possible" [3]. She also joked, "Calm down. I’m not Claudia Cardinale. Or [Gina] Lollobrigida" in response to rumors [3].
Bernadette became well known for her charity work, notably as head of the Pièces Jaunes campaign to help hospitalized children [2, 6]. She grew up in a wealthy Catholic family and met Jacques Chirac while studying at Sciences Po [3, 2].
After Jacques Chirac's death, Bernadette became frail and did not attend his state funeral in 2019 [3]. She was portrayed by Catherine Deneuve in a 2023 film about her years as first lady [1, 5, 6].
French President Emmanuel Macron praised her as "a great woman of heart who left her mark on our history and changed so many lives with discretion and determination" [1, 4, 5].
Bernadette Chirac's death marks the end of a significant chapter in French public life. Memorial plans and public tributes are expected to follow in the coming days.
