Bernadette Chirac: key obituary facts
Is Bernadette Chirac dead? Yes. Bernadette Chirac died on June 5, 2026, at age 93.
Cause of death: Bernadette Chirac's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Bernadette Chirac known for?
She was a French politician.
More about Bernadette Chirac
Born: 18 May 1933.
Place of birth: Paris.
Gender: female.
Occupation: politician.
Nationality: France.
Education: University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, Sciences Po.
Awards: Knight of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, Order of the Smile, Pushkin Medal.
Father: Jean de Courcel.
Spouse: Jacques Chirac.
Children: Claude Chirac, Laurence Chirac.
Also known as: Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chodron de Courcel, Μπερναντέτ Τερέζ Μαρί Σιράκ.
Bernadette Chirac, the French politician and widow of former president Jacques Chirac, died on June 5, 2026, at age 93.
Born Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chodron de Courcel in Paris on May 18, 1933, she met Jacques Chirac while both were students at Sciences Po and married him in 1956. She became closely identified with public life during his presidency from 1995 to 2007 and later served as patron of Opération Pièces jaunes, the charity supporting children in French hospitals.
She also became president of the Claude-Pompidou Foundation in 2007. Chirac had two daughters, Laurence and Claude.