Yvonne de Gaulle (May 22, 1900 - November 8, 1979) was the wife of Charles de Gaulle, a French general and politician. She was known as Tante Yvonne (Aunt Yvonne). They married on April 6, 1921. Yvonne de Gaulle became famous for her dictum: "The presidency is temporary, and the family is permanent." She and her husband barely escaped the assassination attempt on August 22, 1962, when their Citroën DS was targeted by machine-gun fire organized by Jean Bastien-Thiry.
general information
Like her husband, Yvonne de Gaulle was a conservative Catholic and campaigned against prostitution, selling pornography at newsstands and television shows of naked bodies and sex. For this, she received her nickname. Later, she unsuccessfully tried to convince her husband Charles de Gaulle to ban miniskirts in France.
The couple had three children: Philip (born in 1921), Elizabeth (1924-2013) and Anna (1928-1948), who was born with Down syndrome. Yvonne founded a charity foundation to help children with disabilities. It was named after Anna de Gaulle.
Childhood
Yvonne was born into a family of industrialists, was of Burgundian descent. Her distant ancestors came from Holland, bore the name Van Dro, which turned into Vendroux. One of the founders of her family became famous at the beginning of the French Revolution.
Her father, Jacques, was the chairman of the board of directors at the company. Her mother Margarita was born into a family of notaries, this was the sixth woman in France who received a driver's license, the granddaughter of Alfred Korno. Her older brother Jacques was born in 1897, later he became mayor of Calais and deputy. Her younger brother Jean was born in 1901 in Calais, married Madeleine Chaler (1907-2000), became the father of seven children and died in 1956 in a car accident.
The sister of the future Yvonne de Gaulle Suzanne (born February 28, 1905 in Calais and died December 27, 1980 in England) married on March 5, 1934 and had two children, Jacques-Henri and Margarita Marie.
Education
The education and upbringing that her parents gave her was strict, but in accordance with the mores of that time and her social environment. It was given to her relatively easily. A girl from a family with such a status was necessarily invited to learn how to sew. During World War I, the children of her family and their governesses moved to England, in Canterbury, separately from their parents. There, a girl learned to read from the Dominicans in Agnières-sur-Seine.
Marriage
In 1920 she met C. de Gaulle, he was a captain, was returning from a mission in Poland. The meeting was actually arranged secretly from the Yvonne family. On a date, the couple got into the Grand Palace. They went there to see the famous painting “Woman in Blue”. Walk, then tea. Charles knocked over his cup on the dress of his companion, which was received with humor.
Their first evening together took place at the ball of the special Saint-Cyr School in Versailles (the future general de Gaulle studied there from 1908).
Two days later, the girl announced to her parents that she had met her man. They married on April 7, 1921 in the church of Notre Dame de Calais. Their honeymoon took place in Northern Italy. Three children were born from this union: one boy and two girls.
Yvonne's role during World War II
In 1934, she moved with her family to the Boisserie estate. The acquisition of this estate, surrounded by high walls, was justified in particular by the need to protect daughter Anna from the imprudence of society. A passionate gardening lover, Yvonne takes an active part in caring for the garden.
During the events of 1940, it plays an important role for the country. Yvonne and her children move to England and from there actively support the Provisional Government. At this time, Charles leads the Free France association. There are organized reports on the daily life of Paris, in which Yvonne de Gaulle appeared, cooking or chatting with her husband.
In 1948, their daughter Anna died. After that, Yvonne de Gaulle and her husband organize a foundation in memory of their daughter. Georges Pompidou leads him and soon becomes actually next to General de Gaulle. Yvonne later tries to convince her husband to give up politics; Couple retires at La Boisserie.
Spouse of the President of the French Republic
December 21, 1958 she became the first lady of France. During the presidency of her husband, from 1959 to 1969, Yvonne lived with her husband in the Champs Elysees, leading a simple and measured life. Restrained, dim in the public arena, she received the nickname from journalists Aunt Yvonne. With her religiosity, she actively influences her husband’s conservatism in many matters; she even insisted that he keep people divorced or guilty of treason away from the government.
The general, who once invited the actress Brigitte Bardot to the event, almost canceled him after the protests of his wife: she refused to accept divorced people in the palace. According to eyewitnesses, she "embodies traditions, respect for moral values and a sense of duty." This did not prevent her, however, from intervening and influencing the decision of her husband (who was rather opposed) in favor of the future Neuwirth law, which introduced permission to use oral contraceptives.
Day out of life
It is known that Yvonne somehow painted a couple of days from her life spent alone with her husband. At breakfast, she reads Figaro. They all watch TV together until 11 p.m. Sunday morning they celebrate holy mass together in the chapel of the Champs Elysees.
And later, she becomes one of the first ladies who really play an important role in the country's public life. So, in 1961, while the US presidential couple John and Jackie Kennedy were invited to France, she took the initiative to establish relations with the first lady of the United States. And I must say, she managed it very brilliantly. Two years after the murder of her husband, Jackie, at the invitation of Yvonne, came to rest and hide from the pressure of the media that hit her.
Act of terrorism
September 8, 1961 there was a terrorist attack in which the couple de Gaulle found themselves. Yvonne and her husband became the target of this terrorist attack in Petit Klamar. Five cars followed the road from Paris. In the cabin of one of them was a presidential couple. At 9:35 p.m., the car drove through a sand hill, which looked the most ordinary. And at that moment there was an explosion. The fire was so strong that it burned the tops of trees growing along the road. The driver accelerated, pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor. He was stopped only a few kilometers from this place, the couple was transplanted into a limousine, and she drove on. Saved the spouses only incredible luck. The attack was caused by dissatisfaction with French politics in Algerian territories.
In fact, the organizer of the attempt, Colonel-General Bastien-Tiri, did not expect to kill Yvonne, but he threatened the lives of innocent people (including three children and their parents). General de Gaulle regarded this as an aggravating circumstance and refused pardon for Bastien-Thiry, who was sentenced to death by the Court of Military Justice. The officer was shot eight months later. During the events of May 1968, Yvonne accompanied her husband on his trip to Baden-Baden.
Retirement and Death
When her husband Charles retired from the presidency of the Republic in 1969, she accompanied him, in particular during his trip to Ireland. Famous photographs of a presidential couple on the beach were taken there. Later they became famous throughout the world.
Having become a widow in 1970, she lived a calm life, and in 1978 she went to a nursing home in Paris. She died at the Val de Graz hospital in Paris at the age of 79. It happened on November 8, 1979, on the eve of the ninth anniversary of the death of her husband. She rests in a cemetery in Colombe, next to her husband and their daughter Anna.
Surviving information
The couple had three children. The eldest - Philippe de Gaulle - was three years older than his sister Elizabeth. The youngest was Anna. When she was born, it became known that the baby suffers from Down syndrome. She could not eat herself, speak articulate, and her eyesight was so weak that she could not climb the stairs.
When the youngest daughter turned one year old, Yvonne wrote that she would give all her wealth, position, if only this could help her daughter. And all this was enough for the family. Then Charles was still a colonel. However, he provided himself with a great future very actively. Actively tried, working for the good of the family, and Yvonne. At the same time, it is known that father spent a lot of time with his daughters Elizabeth de Gaulle, Anna and son Philip.
So, a woman who served in the family’s house later recalled how Charles, returning home, sank down on all fours and played with his children, singing songs. But he paid special attention to Anna. He could postpone any business if the baby cried for any reason.
The general himself noted that his daughter Anna helped him to look differently at the world and around people. Yvonne noted that her daughter Anna was very moving. And this, apparently, greatly helped the future presidential couple. Soon France lost the war. And de Gaulle turned to the French, urging them to continue the fight against the Nazis. He actually appeared at the head of the French Resistance. And at this time he continued to repeat that his daughter Anna helped him to rise above victories and defeats, to be stronger than circumstances. For Yvonne, it was also a difficult mission.
All this time, she carefully guarded the girl. She played with her and dreamed that Anna was like everyone else. This was repeated by her husband. But already in 20 years, Anna fell ill with bronchitis and died. Then Charles admitted that now his girl has become like everyone else.