Genéral de Gaulle: Marriage and Family


Figure 1.--Here are two of President DeGualle's grandsons with their mother, Henriette de Montalembert--the wife of de Gualle's son Philippe. She seems to be picking them up after school. The photograph was dated 1968, but based on the age of the boys and cars, we think about 1958 is more likely. The boys are Charles and Jean.

Cpt. de Gaulle after valliant service in World War I met Yvonne Vendroux at a ball. He had just returned from a mission in Poland. There was an immediate connection. They married married in the church of Notre-Dame-de-Calais (1921). The new couple established a home at La Boisserie, in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises. Their marriage was a life-long union. They had three children: Philippe (1921), Élisabeth (1924–2013) who married General Alain de Boissieu, and Anne (1928–1948). Philippe served with Free French forces during World War II. He served in the Navy, largely because in 1940 with the fall of France, the French Navy had some of the few operational forces that joined De Gualle and the Free French. Anne had Down's syndrome and died of pneumonia when she was only 20 years old. De Gaulle perhaps because of her disability was devoted to Anne. A neigbor in Colombey recalls how he used to walk with her hand-in-hand around the grounds of their home. He would tenderly caress her and they would talk about the things she could understood. This is a side of De Gaulle not often portrayed. De Gualle and his wife were soul mates. Like him, she was a devout, conservative Catholic. As De Gualle became a public figure, after the War she campaigned against prostitution, the sale of pornography in newsstands, and the televised display of nudity and sex. The French began calling her "Tante (Aunty) Yvonne." She pestered her husband who at the time was the president to outlaw the miniskirt. It was a losing effort among fassionable young French women. Here we see DeGualle's grandsons, we think about 1958 (figure 1). We note another image of two grandsons in 1962. The family was interested in politics. One of his grandsons was named Charles (1948- ) in the Genral's honor. He became a predictably Gaulist member of the European Parliament (1994-2004), but switched to the National Front. This caused a scandal within the family and he was sharply criticized by family members publically in letters and newspaper interviews. One family member commented, "It was like hearing the pope had converted to Islam". ['La famille ...'] Another grandson, Jean de Gaulle (1953- ), served in the French military and parliament until his retirement (2007).

Marriage

Cpt. de Gaulle after valliant service in World War I met Yvonne Vendroux (1900-79) at a ball. She was the daughter of a sucessful Calais manufacturer. De Gulle had just returned from a mission in Poland. There was an immediate connection. They married married in the church of Notre-Dame-de-Calais (1921). The new couple established a home at La Boisserie, in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises. Their marriage was a life-long union. De Gualle and his wife were soul mates. The General in his menoirs writes, "My wife, without whom nothing could have been achieved." [De Gualle] Mdme. de Guall was by all definitions what might be described as a model wife and mother. She followed her husbamd in his military postings during the inter-War period: from Paris to Trier (1927-28), Lebanon (1929-1931), and Metz (1937-9).

Children

The de Gualles had three children: Philippe (1921- ), Élisabeh (1924–2013), and Anne (1928–1948). Philippe, a student when the War brokee out, served with Free French forces during World War II. He served in the Navy, largely because in 1940 with the fall of France, the French Navy had some of the few operational forces that joined De Gualle and the Free French. After D-Day he served with a Narine armored Division. Elizabeth after the War Élisabeth married Alain de Boissieu (1946). Boissieu was a Free French commander who served in many of the important battles during the War. Anne's severe Down's syndrome diagnosed a few months after birth. From the very beginning Mdme. de Gaulle was never separated from her handicapped daughter. De Gaulle perhaps because of her disability was absolutely devoted to Anne. A neigbor in Colombey recalls how he used to walk with her hand-in-hand around the grounds of their home. He would tenderly caress her and they would talk about the things she could understood. This is a side of De Gaulle not often portrayed. Anne died of pneumonia after the War. She was only 20 years old. Mdme. de Gualle established a charity, La fondation Anne-de-Gaulle, to aid children with disabilities.

World War II

World War II was a disaster for France and a trial for the family. De Gualle was a rare French commander who showed inititive. He was mase the Deputy Defense Minister and posted to London as the Germans poured into France. Mdme DeGualle and the children became refugees. She prepared with the girls prepared to join her husband in ritain. The Germans moved faster than expected. She sailed for Britain on the last ship out of Brest (June 17). She missed the ship she had planned to board was sunk by the Germans in the Channel. For a while it looked lik they had been lost. But they made it safely to Britain. Not fully understood at the time, but had they not made it to Britain, they would surely have been arrested by Vichy or the Germans once de Gualle became a prominant anti-NAZI figure. One wonders how he could have managed. He delivered an impassioned radio brodcast, imploring the French people to resist the Germans (June 18). Phileppe He was still a teenager and a student at the École Navale (French Naval Academy) at the time the Germans struck (May 1940). Philippe was not with his mother and the girls hen they crossed the Channel to England. He did not hear his father's June 18 appeal, but managed to escape to England and declared his allegiance to the Free French Naval Forces some of which were in England. The family was installed in London and endured the German Blitz. Surrender to the Germans had spared Paris. After the Allies liberated North Africa, Mdme de Gualle moved to Algiers to join her husband who headed the Free French forces there (June 1943). At the time, this was the only liberated French territory. Even though the Allies were reparing the liberation of France from Britain, de Gualle preferred to be out from under the thub of his allies. Philippe stayed in Britain and would be involved in the Normandy D-Day landings. DeGullw would be brought back to England and briefed in the landings only a few days before the landings. He delivered an impassioned radio address to the French people telling that liberation was at hand. Philippe fought in the Channel campaign and in the Battle of the Atlantic. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant (1943). After D-Day, Philippe participated in the Battle of France (1944-45) as a platoon commander of the Marine 2nd Armored. He was involved in the liberation of Paris. He was sent from the Montparnasse Station to carry the surrender demand to the German commander barricaded at the Palais Bourbon in the premises of the National Assembly. At the risk of being shot, he negotiated alone and unarmed. He fought in the Vosges campaign as the French approched the Rhine on the right (southern) flank of the allied advance (winter of 1944-45). The Vogues Mountins in northeastern France is the only place other than ports that the Germans stood and fought in Franceafter the Normandy breakout.

Public Figure

After the War, de Gualle briefy headed the French Government. He resigned unexpectedly. He found the party bickerng frustrating and difficult to accomplish anything. For over 10 years he led a quite life with his wife away from the national spot light. Gen. DeGualle was returned to power as France was involved in a severe crisis (1958). The bitter war in Algeria was dragging on with no end in sight, splitting the country. Algeria was not an ordinarily colony. It as lefally an integral part of France with large numbers of French colonists. Elements in the military opposed bandoning them. Mdme DeGualle She was with the President when they narrowly escaped an assassination attempt (August 22, 1962). Their Citroën DS was targeted by Jean Bastien-Thiry at the Petit-Clamart. She is known after becoming First Lady for saying, "The presidency is temporary—but the family is permanent."

Tante Yvonne

Like the General, Mdme. DeGualle was a devout, conservative Catholic. She is known for her implicity and avoidance of journalists. She dilifgently performed her duties ashostess and first lady. And was involved in charity work. All of this was qierky performed with little publicity. The one area she pursued with some fanfare was a morality campaign against prostitution, the sale of pornography in newsstands, and the televised display of nudity and sex. The French began calling her "Tante (Aunty) Yvonne." She pestered her husband who at the time was the president to outlaw the miniskirt. It was a losing effort among fassionable young French women.

Grandchildren

Here we see DeGualle's grandsons, we think about 1958 (figure 1). We note another image of two grandsons in 1962. The family was interested in politics. One of his grandsons was named Charles (1948- ) in the Genral's honor. He became a predictably Gaulist member of the European Parliament (1994-2004), but switched to the National Front. This caused a scandal within the family and he was sharply criticized by family members publically in letters and newspaper interviews. One family member commented, "It was like hearing the pope had converted to Islam". ['La famille ...'] Another grandson, Jean de Gaulle (1953- ), served in the French military and parliament until his retirement (2007).

Sources

De Gualle. Mémoires d’Espoir Vol. I.

"La famille qui a dit non," Le Point (July 16, 1999).






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Created: 3:01 AM 10/29/2016
Last updated: 10:30 AM 11/8/2016