Yvonne de Gaulle
| Yvonne de Gaulle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
22 May 1900 Calais, France |
| Died |
8 November 1979 (aged 79) Paris, France |
| Spouse(s) | Charles de Gaulle (1921-1970; his death) |
| Children |
Philippe Élisabeth Anne |
Yvonne de Gaulle (born Yvonne Charlotte Anne Marie Vendroux; 22 May 1900 – 8 November 1979) was the wife of Charles de Gaulle. She was sometimes known as "Tante Yvonne" ("Aunt Yvonne"). They were married on April 7, 1921. She is known for the quote, "The presidency is temporary—but the family is permanent." She and her husband narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on August 22, 1962, when their Citroën DS was targeted by machine gun fire arranged by Jean Bastien-Thiry at the Petit-Clamart.
Like her husband, Yvonne de Gaulle was a conservative Catholic, and campaigned against prostitution, the sale of pornography in newsstands and the televised display of nudity and sex, for which she earned the nickname "Tante ("Auntie") Yvonne." Later she unsuccessfully tried to persuade de Gaulle to outlaw miniskirts in France.
The couple had three children: Philippe (b. 1921), Élisabeth (1924-2013), and Anne (1928–1948), who was born with Down syndrome. Yvonne de Gaulle set up a charity, 'La fondation Anne-de-Gaulle', to help children with disabilities.
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