Roman de Kermadec gave a rare interview to Galaon newsstands Thursday January 9, 2025, on the occasion of the photo exhibition Intersticesdedicated to his mother Kate Barry in Paris. The grandson of Jane Birkin, a very young father, particularly talks about his difficult mourning since the death of the British singer, he who would have “love” that she could meet her great-grandson.
His death caused great sadness, as his imprint was so strong in the hearts of the French. In July 2023, Jane Birkin died at the age of 76, after health problems and several concert cancellations. Born in London in 1946, the interpreter ofEx-fan des sixties left behind her youngest daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and the youngest of the siblings, Lou Doillon, but also several grandchildren, including Roman de Kermadec, son of Kate Barry, first daughter of Jane Birkin, who lost her life in 2013 at the age of 46. The talented photographer is currently the subject of a unique exhibition in Paris, Intersticesdedicated to his most beautiful landscape shots. The opportunity for his only son, born from his past union with Pascal de Kermadec, to grant an interview to Galaon newsstands Thursday January 9, 2025.
Novel by Kermadec: the birth of his son, “a hurricane”
Despite the pain of losing his beloved grandmother, Roman de Kermadec experienced an event in June 2024 that filled him with happiness: the birth of his first child, a little boy.. “It was a hurricane. I always wanted a child. Everything happened very quickly, like a gift of life, a few months after this heavy loss. It was the most beautiful thing that ever happened to us.” he confided to our colleagues, happy to share his life with his partner Hortense Gélinet, “A great mom.” Roman de Kermadec adds, with great transparency: “Before the birth of my son, I had not bravely mourned my grandmother. I shielded myself so much that I did not experience my emotions in the moment.”
This regret of Roman Kermadec since the birth of his son
A downside is the absence of Jane Birkin at his side, she who practically raised him after the brutal death of Kate Barry, more than ten years ago. Even today, we do not know the cause of his fall – accidental or intentional – from the window of his Parisian apartment, on the 4th floor. “When he [son fils] was born, the floodgates opened. I wish my grandmother would have lasted another year to know him…”, concluded Roman de Kermadec in the columns of Gala. A rare speech for someone who has always wanted to be discreet in the media, far from the notoriety of his two aunts, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon.
