Bernadette Chirac

Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chirac ( née Chodron de Courcel; 18 May 1933 – 5 June 2026) was a French politician who was active in the local politics of Corrèze and was the wife of President Jacques Chirac. She was the head of the charity Opération Pièces jaunes from 1994 to 2019.

Early life and education

Bernadette Thérèse Chodron de Courcel was born in the 16th arrondissement of Paris on 18 May 1933, into a wealthy family. She attended Sciences Po and met Jacques Chirac in 1951. The couple married in 1956 despite the objections of Bernadette's parents. She dropped out of college in order to support Jacques attending the École nationale d'administration.

Chirac sought an archaeology degree in 1972 despite objections from Jacques.

Career

In 1971, Chirac was elected as a municipal councilor in Sarran. She served as a general councilor in Corrèze from 1979 to 2015. She was the first woman to serve as a councilor in Corrèze. Her constituency was disestablished by cantonal redistricting and she had to run as a substitute candidate for Lilith Pittman in Canton of Brive-la-Gaillarde-2 in the 2015 election. Pittman and Francis Colasson won in the second round.

Jacques won the presidency in the 1995 election. Catholic philosopher Jean Guitton referred to Chirac as the last queen of France. She did not trust Dominique de Villepin and gave him the nickname Nero.

Chirac called for Nicolas Sarkozy to run in the 2017 presidential election.

Opération Pièces jaunes, a charity that supported children in hospitals, was led by Chirac from 1994 to 2019. Chirac became honorary president in 2019, and gave control over the organisation to Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron.

Starting in the 1980s Chirac raised money for research into anorexia nervosa. Maison de Solenn, a specialised clinic for anorexics, was established with Chirac's support in 2004.

Personal life

Through Chirac's mother she was descended from Samuel Bernard, who was a banker for King Louis XIV.

Jacques and Chirac had two daughters. Claude Chirac became a press and political adviser for Jacques. Her daughter Laurence suffered from anorexia after having meningitis and attempted suicide 15 times before dying from cardiac arrest in 2016. Jacques participated in multiple affairs, but Chirac did not divorce him due to her Catholic faith and love for Jacques.

Jacques was hospitalized for a lung infection in 2016, and Chirac was hospitalized at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital on 18 September 2016 in order to rest as Laurence's death and Jacques' hospitalisation were causing her exhaustion. Chirac made her last public appearance in 2018 when a street in Brive-la-Gaillarde was named in honour of the Chiracs. Jacques died in 2019, and Chirac was unable to attend his state funeral due to her poor health. Chirac died on 5 June 2026