Saint-Tropez will be the final resting place for French screen icon Brigitte Bardot, with a private funeral scheduled for January 7, but a national tribute remains off the table despite calls from across the political spectrum.
A Divided France Reflects on “BB’s” Legacy
The passing of Brigitte Bardot has sparked debate over whether her controversial views should overshadow her contributions to French cinema and culture.
- The presidential palace proposed a national tribute to Bardot, but the family declined.
- Political figures are sharply divided on the appropriateness of a state honor, given the actress’s past statements.
- Emmanuel Macron will not attend the funeral, and previously received a scathing letter from Bardot criticizing his policies.
The French presidential palace approached Bardot’s family with a proposal for a national tribute, but the offer was not accepted, according to a close friend of the head of state who spoke with AFP. This approach aligns with “republican practice,” where tributes are “systematically decided by mutual agreement with the relatives of the deceased,” the source explained.
What services would typically warrant a national tribute? Such honors are generally reserved for individuals who have provided “exceptional services to the Nation,” a standard some argue Bardot did not meet.
The announcement of Bardot’s death on Sunday immediately ignited a political firestorm. Eric Ciotti, president of the UDR, allied with the National Rally – a party with which Bardot was known to be close – swiftly launched a petition advocating for a national tribute. However, Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party, while acknowledging Bardot as “an iconic actress,” asserted that national tributes are reserved for those who have served the nation and that the artist had “turned her back on republican values” due to past racist and homophobic remarks.
President Emmanuel Macron will not be in attendance at the funeral, which will be held in private in Saint-Tropez on January 7. The decision likely stems from a strained relationship with the actress, who sent Macron a strongly worded letter in 2023, expressing her anger over his perceived inaction regarding animal suffering. “I am angry at your inaction, your cowardice, your contempt for the French, who, it is true, repay you,” she wrote.
Brigitte Bardot’s legacy is complex, marked by both cinematic brilliance and controversial personal views that often clashed with modern social norms.
