For several years, Bernadette Chirac’s state of health has been kept secret. Impossible for anyone to get news from the former First Lady, who last appeared in public on November 9, 2020 on the banks of the Seine for a short walk. Since the death of her husband Jacques Chirac, Bernadette Chirac has lived as a recluse in her apartment located on Quai Voltaire, where a few rare personalities have the privilege of coming to visit her. Among them, the journalist and politician Patrick de Carolis, a longtime friend of the former First Lady, on whom he had also written a Conversation book in 2001.
Guest of Valérie Expert this Thursday, March 23 on “South Radio” on his show The Expert’s Eye, the mayor of Arles and former chairman and managing director of France Televisions was asked about the state of health of the one who will celebrate her 90th birthday in a few weeks. Patrick de Carolis’ response was very evasive: ”I have heard from him, but… here it is… He is a person who is withdrawn from society, and I will remain modest about it” he answered very soberly.
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An answer that is not likely to reassure the faithful of Bernadette Chirac. Since the death of Jacques Chirac in September 2019, few personalities have agreed to give news of his widow. In May 2021, journalist Henry-Jean Servat, longtime friend of the Chirac couple, revealed to Jordan de Luxe that Bernadette Chirac’s state of health was very poor: ”She’s not doing terribly well, because she’s an old lady now (…) She’s tired, she can’t appear anymore’‘ he explained.
Last January, also invited by Jordan de Luxe, journalist Catherine Nay criticized Claude Chirac for having put his mother ”under glass”, regretting to have no news of the latter, with whom she had maintained precious and intimate ties for many decades.
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