Bernadette Chirac, former first lady of France and a significant political figure in her own right, has passed away at the age of 93. She served alongside President Jacques Chirac for 12 years and was known for her influence in regional politics and her work with a children's hospital charity.

Bernadette Chirac, the steel-willed former first lady of France who spent 12 years at the Élysée Palace from 1995 to 2007 beside President Jacques Chirac while building her own political power in rural Corrèze and turning a children’s hospital charity into a national institution, has died. She was 93.