Posted by Arthur on November 6, 2014, 4:17 am, in reply to "Re: Soviet gifts?"
No offense perceived, don't worry!
Relations between De Gaulle and Jacqueline Kennedy were more complex than what it looked at first sight. It is well known that Jacqueline Kennedy used her charm and her knowledge of the French language (which she knew thanks to her French descent [Bouvier family] and to her studies at the Sorbonne in Paris) to try to "seduce" (within decent limits, of course) the French President and his entourage, and to influence them in favour of Kennedy's foreign policy.
The French press of the time fell litterally in love with Jacqueline Kennedy and was enthusiastic about the young, beautiful, glamorous French-speaking First Lady. But De Gaulle remained unsensitive to Mrs Kennedy's charm offensive. He probably perceived her as a futile superficial woman, and more generally, he was a kind of old-fashioned mysoginist, who had always perfect gentleman's manners towards women, but considered that politics was not a matter for them (though he granted voting right to women in 1945) and that spouses of political leaders were not entitled to interfere in political affairs. In his memoirs, former Gaullist minister Alain Peyrefitte recalls De Gaulle's terse reply to one of his aides or ministers who had been literally conquered by Mrs Kennedy's charm (and who assumed that De Gaulle had been subjugated too): "- General, you had the opportunity to talk a lot with Mrs Kennedy during this visit. How did you find her? - Very well dressed." And shortly after John Kennedy's death, De Gaulle is reported to have contemptuously said in private about the widowed Jacqueline: "She will end up on the yacht of an arms dealer" (which was quite a well-thought premonition).
On the other hand, Jacqueline Kennedy was disappointed by De Gaulle's will to protect France from American influence - an even bitterer disapointment for her since she had highly admired De Gaulle for his role during WW2. In tape interviews made in 1964 with journalist Arthur Schlesinger Jr. (but released only after Jacqueline Kennedy's death), she described De Gaulle as "egomaniac" and "spiteful". But she described André Malraux, the French novelist and De Gaulle's Culture minister, as "the most fascinating man I’ve ever talked to". See, about Jacqueline Kennedy's interviews: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/us/12jackie.html?_r=3&ref=todayspaper&
A few pictures of the glittering gala reception (in white-tie!) given by General de Gaulle at the Château de Versailles () in honour of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (who wore a nice tiara/hair ornament... those were the times!):
(source for the two pictures immediately above: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston) (Source: Paris Match, picture by René Vital)
As for the Communist leaders, I tend to disagree with your comments. Not that I want to defend in any way these awful dictatorships, but I have the impression that the Communist leaders' wives mostly remained in the shadow of their husband (Elena Ceaucescu and Raissa Gorbacheva were two exceptions). And when they appeared in public, these wives were not expected to display any sign of "decadent" patrician glitter, which would have been totally unfitting for the wives of prominent "comrades", who were supposed to live the decent but frugal life of any other worker in an egalitarian society. The duller, the better... None of the Soviet First Ladies was ever seen bedecked with jewels like Evita Peron, for instance. Of course, it is true that Communist leaders and their families enjoyed, behind closed doors and away from the press, a lavish and grand-style way of life which was totally unknown of the ordinary citizens of their country - but my impression is that this grand style was more about houses, summer "datchas", furniture, better healthcare or food than about fashion or jewels.
on November 6, 2014, 4:17 am, in reply to "
) given by General de Gaulle at the Château de Versailles (
