It has been confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Monaco on Thursday 23rd January to attend the funeral of Didier Guillaume, the Principality’s late Minister of State and the former Minister of Agriculture in France, who passed away on Friday 17th January at the age of 65. Macron, who considered Guillaume a close friend, has postponed a planned visit to the Aisne and ThiĂ©rache regions to pay his respects to the “warm and wholehearted” public servant.
Following the death of Didier Guillaume earlier this month, there has been an outpouring of tributes to the French politician, who served as France’s Minister of Agriculture and Food from 2018 to 2020 under Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, during President Macron’s first term, before being appointed Minister of State in Monaco in September 2024.
On Thursday 23rd January, the Principality will observe a national day of mourning in honour of Guillaume’s significant contributions to Monaco and his legacy as a man dedicated to advancement and progress. His funeral will be held that day from 11am at the Monaco Cathedral in the presence of both Prince Albert II of Monaco and Macron, who will travel to the Principality to pay his respects to a colleague he also considered a friend.
In a heartfelt message shared on social media this week, the French President paid tribute to his former minister, saying, “Didier Guillaume is no more. Former minister, deeply rooted in the DrĂ´me, a humanist in the Republic, his commitment to others was, like him, vibrant, warm and wholehearted. From Bourg-de-PĂ©age to Monaco. My thoughts are with his family. I have lost a friend.”
Prince Albert II of Monaco has also expressed his deep sorrow at the sudden loss of Guillaume, describing him as an “exemplary servant of the Principality”.
See more: Remembering Didier Guillaume, a “remarkable statesman” who dedicated his life to meaningful change
Since Guillaume’s death, Monaco has paid tribute to the Frenchman by flying all flags at half-mast. His body is currently resting at the Chapelle de la MisĂ©ricorde in Monaco, where a chapel of rest has been set up to allow the public to pay their respects ahead of his funeral.
Following the ceremony, Guillaume’s body will be repatriated to the DrĂ´me, where a tribute will be held on Saturday 25th January in Bourg-de-PĂ©age before his burial in Claveyson, alongside his parents.
Prince Albert II has entrusted the interim leadership of the Monegasque government to Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, minister of foreign relations and cooperation, making her the first woman to hold the position of Minister of State in the Principality’s history.
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Photo via Emmanuel Macron, Facebook