Bernadette Chirac King Mohammed VI Morocco Royal Family

An unwavering support to her husband’s trajectory, the former elected official of the Corrèze general council passed away at the age of 93. Strongly committed to charitable actions, she leaves behind the memory of a leading political personality, accustomed to circles of power.

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This proximity with foreign leaders was painfully illustrated in April 2015, following the death of her daughter Laurence. The former First Lady then confided to Paris Match magazine the empathy shown by the royal family: "Princess Lalla Salma [...] offered to come spend a few days to cheer me up. The King of Morocco called me three times". The three princesses had also called her, adding to the condolences from François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

To find peace, the couple retreated to Agadir at the end of that same month of April. They resided for a month in a property of King Mohammed VI offering an unobstructed panorama of the ocean. This seaside destination now replaced their traditional stays at the "La Gazelle d’or" hotel in Taroudant, a choice dictated at the time by the need to keep Jacques Chirac in close proximity to hospital facilities in case of emergency.

During this period of rest, the former president continued to enjoy some public outings, walking with the aid of a cane alongside his bodyguard. In a bar, he had crossed paths with merchants from Boulogne-sur-Mer, even treating them to an aperitif. A vacationer described him as "very kind and approachable", contrasting with the more distant attitude of Bernadette Chirac, who remained withdrawn.

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These spontaneous exchanges swept away rumors at the time about the former Paris mayor’s health. Mathieu, a restaurateur in the city where the former residents of the Élysée regularly enjoyed fish, affirmed that he retained all his faculties. The couple thus peacefully enjoyed this refuge, confirming their long-standing attachment to Morocco.