EXCLUSIVE – Fifty years ago, on May 19, 1974, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing became the third president of the Ve Republic. His wife Anne-Aymone, who was first lady until 1981, exceptionally agreed to entrust the Figaro Magazine memories and truths of a life in the service of France.
The words of Anne-Aymone Giscard d’Estaing are rare. The former first lady still doesn’t like being in first place. And yet, it was indeed his for seven years. Exposed to a light that she did not seek, Anne-Aymone strived throughout this period to embody French charm and elegance, with rare distinction. In the tradition of Yvonne de Gaulle and Claude Pompidou, she represented a certain idea of France and the way to serve it. Modern, she had an office set up at the Élysée to be able to work and prepare for her trips to the provinces to meet the French. She paved the way for those who came after her.
His rule of conduct seems to have been inspired by the famous “Never explain, never complain”, dear to Elizabeth II. “She is not afraid of anything, and she has great strength of soul…” said of his wife, in 2015, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing to Frédéric Mitterrand, during a television interview. The life of someone who loves nothing…
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