The oldest son of the French leader who fought against the Nazis in World War II and became the first president after the war has died at 102, according to his family on Wednesday.
Philippe de Gaulle followed his father’s request to join the Free French forces in the fight against Nazism in World War II and later had a successful career in the navy, reaching the rank of admiral, and also becoming a senator.
He was a less prominent figure than his father but dedicated himself to preserving the memory of Charles de Gaulle, especially through writing numerous books.
His son Yves de Gaulle informed AFP that he passed away overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in the Invalides in central Paris, the French military institution where he had lived for two years.
“Philippe de Gaulle responded to his father’s call to join the Resistance. A sailor, admiral, and senator, he always showed courage and honor when needed. A century of French bravery,” President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a tribute on X.
He joined the Free French Naval Forces in 1940 and fought in the North Atlantic until 1944, then in France itself when the Resistance joined the Allies in pushing the Nazis out of France.
AFP
