Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon carry mother Jane Birkin’s coffin at Paris funeral
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon helped to carry their mother Jane Birkin’s coffin at the star’s Paris funeral on Monday (24 July).
Singer, actor and fashion icon Birkin, who was known for her relationship and collaborations with French singer Serge Gainsbourg, was found dead on 16 July aged 76.
Her coffin was carried by her daughters Gainsbourg and Doillon, who are both successful singers and actors in their own right, into the Saint-Roch church in Paris.
The funeral was attended by many French stars, including Catherine Deneuve (Belle de Jour), her daughter Chiara Mastroianni (Le Journal du séducteur) and Isabelle Huppert (Elle).
British actor Charlotte Rampling was also in attendance, along with French first lady Brigitte Macron and culture minister Rima Abdul Malak.
According to French press, Gainsbourg paid tribute to her mother as she addressed the congregation, saying: “Now I am an orphan.” Her father died in 1991.
“I see already the emptiness that she has left behind, she is my mum, our mum,” she added.
Doillon, who Birkin had with director Jacques Doillon, said: “Mum, thank you for all these adventures, thank you for not being ordinary, reasonable or docile.”
Birkin’s first daughter, the photographer Kate Barry whom she had with her first husband John Barry, died in 2013 by reported suicide.
Born in London in 1946, Birkin began her career as an actor. She moved to France in the late Sixties, where she began dating and working with Serge Gainsbourg.
The two released a debut album in 1969, containing the notorious, sexually explicit song “Je t’aime... moi non plus”.
Throughout her career, Birkin starred in around 70 films and was directed by filmmakers from Jean-Luc Godard to Agnès Varda.
She was also the inspiration behind Hermes’ iconic and long-standing Birkin handbag, which was launched by the French fashion house in 1983.
Last week, French media reported that Birkin’s Paris home was targeted by thieves days after her death.
Shortly before 4am on 19 July, a childhood friend of Birkin’s staying in the home heard noises coming from behind the door.
According to the reports, police officers were dispatched to the scene where they noticed potential evidence of an attempted break-in, including markings on and damage to the door and its frame, as well as pieces of wood scattered on the ground.
The star died of natural causes 16 years after she was diagnosed with cancer and two years after she suffered a stroke.
Birkin’s family confirmed that the actor had requested she spend the evening before her death on her own, in a bid to feel independent away from her caregivers.
