VIDEO Brigitte Bardot, led on the last road by the French. “She was the most beautiful woman in the world,” said Mireille Mathieu, who sang at the funeral
Brigitte Bardot's funeral procession, PHOTO: Jacovides-Moreau / Bestimage / Profimedia Images
People filled the streets of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday, cheering as the coffin of French film star Brigitte Bardot was carried through the Riviera resort after the funeral, Reuters reports.
Bardot, who died on December 28 at the age of 91, rose to international fame at a young age with the film And God… created womanher tousled hair and exuberant energy exuding a sexual magnetism that captivated 1950s France.
Affectionately known as BB to many French people, Bardot's roles made her not only a sex symbol, but also a pop culture icon and a landmark of changing social attitudes. She became the first celebrity to pose for a bust of Marianne, the traditional symbol of the French Republic, present in town halls across the country.
“For me, Brigitte Bardot is France,” said singer Mireille Mathieu, 79, who sang at the funeral.
“She was the most beautiful woman in the world,” Mathieu told reporters, praising “that freedom she (Bardot) had, that audacity to say what she thought.”
At the funeral, in the city's Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church, a black-and-white photo of Bardot cradling a baby seal was displayed alongside the words “Merci Brigitte” next to her coffin, which was covered mostly in orange and yellow flowers.
Outside, where the image was shown on screens set up for those who could no longer fit in the chapel, a man held a sign that read: “Animals thank Brigitte Bardot.”
Bardot made more than 40 films in just over 20 years
Bardot made the last of her 42 films in 1973. Disillusioned with the industry, she declared the world of cinema “rotten”.
Aurore Bergé, minister of equality in Emmanuel Macron's cabinet and animal rights defender, was present to represent the government. Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson was also among the guests at the funeral.
Bardot has been a strong supporter of Watson and launched several calls for his release after he was arrested in Greenland on an international arrest warrant issued by Japan.
After the funeral, Bardot is to be buried in strict privacy in a cemetery in the glittering city where she lived much of her later life – behind high walls, surrounded by a veritable menagerie of cats, dogs and horses.
A tribute open to locals and fans will take place later in the day in the Pré des Pêcheurs area of the old town.
Bardot told Le Monde in 2018 that she wanted to be buried in a quiet corner of her garden. But the Var Prefecture stated that it had never received any request for a private funeral, which would have been necessary for her to be buried in her own garden.
The cause of death of the actress Brigitte Bardot, revealed by her husband
