Former French first lady dies at 93: Bernadette Chirac, a 'discreet force'

Bernadette Chirac, the former first lady of France who spent 12 years at the Élysée Palace from 1995 to 2007, built political influence in rural Corrèze and expanded a children’s hospital charity into a national institution. She was described as a 'discreet force' and 'rock' in her husband Jacques Chirac's political career.