Yvonne de Gaulle
Encyclopedia
Yvonne de Gaulle born as Yvonne Charlotte Anne Marie Vendroux, was the wife of Charles de Gaulle
. They were married on April 7, 1921. She was sometimes known as "Tante Yvonne" ("Aunt Yvonne"). 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
.
The couple had three children: Philippe
(b. 1921), Élisabeth (b. 1924), and Anne
(1928–1948), who was born with Down syndrome
. Yvonne de Gaulle set up a charity, '', to help mentally handicapped children.
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
. They were married on April 7, 1921. She was sometimes known as "Tante Yvonne" ("Aunt Yvonne"). 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
Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
was targeted by machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
fire arranged by Jean Bastien-Thiry at the Petit-Clamart
Clamart
Clamart is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.The town is divided into two parts, separated by a forest: bas Clamart, the historical centre, and petit Clamart with urbanization developed in the 1960s replacing pea fields. The canton of...
.
The couple had three children: Philippe
Philippe de Gaulle
Philippe de Gaulle is a French admiral and politician. The son of General Charles de Gaulle, he is a former Senator and was Inspector-General of the French Navy. He married Henriette de Montalambert de Cers in 1947 and had four children including Dr. Charles de Gaulle, Yves de Gaulle and Pierre de...
(b. 1921), Élisabeth (b. 1924), and Anne
Anne de Gaulle
Anne de Gaulle was the youngest daughter of General Charles de Gaulle and his wife, Yvonne. She was born in Trier, Germany, where her father was stationed....
(1928–1948), who was born with Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
. Yvonne de Gaulle set up a charity, '', to help mentally handicapped children.