The new Miss France ceremony, orchestrated this Saturday, December 16, 2023 by Jean-Pierre Foucault and chaired by Sylvie Tellier, will be special: it will pay tribute to Geneviève de Fontenay, who passed away at the end of summer at the age of 89. For the occasion, more than forty Miss France agreed to compete again, including Nathalie Marquay-Pernaut, Rachel Legrain-Trapani, Laury Thilleman, Iris Mittenaere and even Amandine Petit and Indira Ampiot, the last recipient of the title, who will put it back into play this Saturday ahead a 100% female jury, composed of Elodie Poux, Adriana Karembeu, Stéfi Celma, Estelle Mossely, Nina Métayer and Nolwenn Leroy.
A Miss France, and not just any Miss France, will not be there: Malika Ménard, elected Miss France 2010, was the last Miss crowned by Geneviève de Fontenay. The lady in the hat left her position a few months later, in the middle of the reign of Malika Ménard, who had therefore experienced the complex transfer of power between Geneviève de Fontenay and Sylvie Tellier. If she wanted more than anything to participate in this tribute, Malika Ménard will unfortunately not be present, for medical reasons: the young woman cracked her meniscus a few days agoand must remain immobilized for several weeks, so as not to weaken his convalescence.
The last Miss that Geneviève crowned and crowned
On Instagram, Malika Ménard did not hide her pain at not being able to come and pay tribute to Geneviève de Fontenay, with whom she had maintained a beautiful relationship until the end: “I had to and above all I wanted to be present this evening, in Dijon, for the prime time of Miss France. To reunite with my friends, to see the destiny of a young woman change in a fraction of a second and to honor the memory of the lady with the hat. This was really close to my heart: I am the last Miss France that Geneviève de Fontenay crowned. Being the first or the last in someone’s life, regardless of the duration or depth of the relationship, creates, without one really having any power of action over it, a special bond. This was our case. I wanted to pay tribute to her this evening, because she passed away this summer, more than four months ago… the same day as my dad“ the young woman testified with emotion.
Geneviève died the same day as her dad
“I was so distraught, imprisoned in suffering, overwhelmed by new emotions and anxieties, that I was at the time quite incapable of expressing gratitude to him with dignity when I was asked to do so. I was therefore firmly awaiting this tribute, this communion between Miss, around the one who ultimately owes a little of what we are today. (But) I am not physically moving. I, on a wrong move, cracked my meniscus last Sunday in Morocco. Since then I have had some difficulty walking. I will therefore be present in thought“ continued the thirty-year-old, who has been working for three years as a presenter on the local channel SQOOL TV.
And to conclude, by sharing all his affection for the one to whom this ceremony will be entirely dedicated: “In this thought, there will be deep gratitude to Geneviève, for having, through his greatest achievement, changed my destiny. Thank you for the always encouraging words, thank you for the laughs and thank you for the scolding of those we care about. Forever this look”. A post that many Misses have shared, such as Rachel Legrain-Trapani, Maëva Coucke, Marine Ltemporel, Flora Coquerel and Laetitia Bléger.