Xavier de Fontenay, son of the famous Geneviève de Fontenay, announced on Wednesday August 2, 2023, the death of his mother, she was 90 years old.
Who was Genevieve de Fontenay?
Geneviève de Fontenay, whose real name is Geneviève Suzanne Marie Thérèse Mulmann was born on August 30, 1932 in Longwy, Lorraine; Eldest of 10 siblings, whose father is a mining engineer, she began her studies with the nuns of Mercy in Metz then entered the hotel school in Strasbourg and trained as a beautician in Paris, at the age of 17. When she was 22, she met Louis Pierre Joseph Poirot, journalist publicist with whom she had 2 children, Ludovic (1954-1984) then Xavier (born n 1961) but however, she was never married. She was, however, able to use the pseudonym used by Louis Poirot during the occupation.
The Miss France Committee
It was first as secretary that Geneviève de Fontenay joined the association of the Miss France committee. She was then elected Miss Elegance in 1957 while she was a model at Balenciaga. It was the same year that she adopted her style that she would never change: black and white and a large hat (her trademark which earned her the nickname « La Dame au Chapeau ». Louis Poirot became delegate general of the association and Geneviève was her assistant in 1962. After the death of her husband in 1981, she took over the Miss France committee with her son Xavier and changed the organization. In 2002, the Endémol company bought the commercial and television part but continued to employing her as deputy director until 2010 when she left the company to create another « Miss National » who would become « Miss Prestige National ». The same year, the Medal of Merit and French Dedication was awarded to Luis during of the Miss Seine-et-Marne election in Lizy-sur-Ourcq, the town where she spent her holidays, with her grandparents.
A strong character
Geneviève de Fontenay is known for her outspokenness, her strong character and her positions, she does not hide her leftist ideas either.
In 2002, she supported the presidential candidacy of Arlette Laguiller. In 2007, she accompanied the socialist candidate Ségolène Royal and called for a vote for François Hollande in 2012 and for Emmanuel Macron in 2017. The following year, however, she launched with Florian Philippot an initiative against President Macron’s anti-social policy, although she does not politically support « the Patriots ».
In 2016, she proposed replacing « homosexual marriage » with « gayriage » but positioned herself against homosexuality, surrogacy and medically assisted procreation and joined « La Manif pour tous ». Regarding the Yellow Vests, she dissociates herself from the movement after having supported it, finding the blockages stupid and ridiculous. In 2019, she opposed Sylvie Tellier who was not against the candidacy of a transgender woman for the title of Miss France, judging the idea « unnatural », « dishonorable » and « messy for the title.
Withdrawal from Miss contests
In January 2016, Geneviève de Fontenay decided to withdraw from beauty contests but she continued to travel around France, meeting the public for signing sessions in supermarkets and wedding fairs or fairs. In 2021, following a dispute with Sylvie Tellier, she refuses to participate in the centenary of the competition.
Tributes after his death
After her death from a heart attack on August 1, 2023, at her home in St Cloud (92), the tributes did not stop. Jean-Pierre Foucault, Sylvie Tellier, Julien Lepers, Alexia Laroche-Joubert, Stéphane Bern, Cyril Hanouna, as well as many former Miss France such as Christiane Lilliot (MF 1968), Linda Hardy (MF 1992), Sophie Thalmann (MF 1998) , Elodie Gossuin (MF and Miss Europe 2001), Laetitia Bléger (MF 2004), Cindy Fabre (MF 2005 and current director of Miss France), Rachel Legrain-Trapani (MF2007), Alexandra Rosenfeld (MF and Miss Europe 2006), Laury Thilleman (MF 2011), Marine Lorphelin (MF 2013), Camille Cerf (MF 2015), Iris Mittenaere (MF and Miss Universe 2016) Maeva Coucke (MF2018), Diane Leyre (MF 2022) and Indira Ampiot MF 2023).
On the political side, we note the tributes of the Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne, the President of the Patriots Florian Philippot, the President LR Xavier Bertrand, the deputy and national secretary of the PCF Fabien Roussel.
See you on December 16 for the election of Miss France 2024 at the Zénith de Dijon, 10 years after the election of Flora Coquerel.
Copyright ©2023 IMPACT EUROPEAN
Copyright ©2023 IMPACT EUROPEAN. All rights reserved.
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