Princess Lalla Meryem represents King Mohammed VI at Bernadette Chirac funeral

Princess Lalla Meryem represented King Mohammed VI on Friday in Paris at the funeral of Bernadette Chirac.

Upon her arrival at the Sainte-Clotilde Basilica, she was welcomed by Claude Chirac, the daughter of the deceased, before taking her seat inside the church alongside Brigitte Macron and senior dignitaries attending the funeral ceremony.

Also present at the funeral were Morocco’s ambassador to Paris, Samira Sitail; former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande; French political figures; and friends and relatives of the Chirac family.

King Mohammed VI had sent a message of condolences and sympathy to Claude Chirac following the death of her mother. In the message, the sovereign said he had learned with deep emotion of Bernadette Chirac’s passing, expressing, in this painful moment, his sincere condolences and sympathy to all members of her esteemed family and to those close to her.

Morocco will retain "the moving memory of a woman of great distinction who faithfully embodied a rich legacy of human, family, and patriotic values," the sovereign said.