Charlotte Gainsbourg carries coffin at Jane Birkin’s funeral in Paris
At the funeral of Jane Birkin in Paris, her daughters Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon carried the coffin of their late mother before speaking at the ceremony.
The funeral took place on July 24th at the Saint-Roch church in the French capital. Birkin, who died of natural causes, passed away aged 76 earlier this month. In a statement, her family said: “Jane Birkin passed away after 16 years of a fierce battle with illness. Since her stroke in September 2021, her family and wonderful caregivers had been by her side day and night.”
“For a few days, she had been walking again, and was motivated by rescheduling her Olympia performance. The first evening alone turned out to be her last. She had decided it,” they continued.
During the ceremony, Gainsbourg reportedly told the congregation according to publications in France, “Now I am an orphan.” Her father Serge Gainsbourg previously died in 1991 after suffering a fatal heart attack.
“I see already the emptiness that she has left behind, she is my mum, our mum,” Gainsbourg added. Meanwhile, Doillon, said: “Mum, thank you for all these adventures, thank you for not being ordinary, reasonable or docile.”
Birkin rose to fame in the 1960s, starring in films such as Blow Up, La Piscine and Slogan. Later on in her career, she appeared in Death on the Nile and La Belle Noiseuse, as well as several collaborations with Agnes Varda, such as Jane B. par Agnès V.
Notably, she recorded the hit single ‘Je t’aime moi non plus’ with her husband Serge Gainsbourg. Following the success of the track, Birkin carved out a lengthy musical career, and released a total of 13 studio albums.
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