Berthe Faure (1842-1920) was the wife

Félix Faure Félix François Faure (; 30 January 1841 – 16 February 1899) was President of France from 1895 until his death in 1899. A native of Paris, he worked as a tanner in his younger years. Faure became a member of the Chamber of Deputies for Seine- ...

, who was

President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country, the po ...

from 1895 to 1899. As wife of the president, Berthe Faure was required by her spouse to fulfill representational duties. She hosted two balls annually and gala dinners for 8.000 guests. At Saturdays, she had her own gatherings; among her friends were the father of

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust ( ; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, literary critic, and essayist who wrote the novel (in French – translated in English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'' and more r ...

. Berthe Faure reportedly worshiped her spouse and was regarded by her family as naive. She did know about the adultery of her spouse but preferred to pretend not to notice.

References

1842 births 1920 deaths Spouses of presidents of France Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery {{France-bio-stub