Geneviève de Fontenay has died at the age of 90

Geneviève de Fontenay has died - Geneviève de Fontenay has died at the age of 90. The former leader of the Miss France Committee, "Miss Elegance 1957" de Fontenay took over as head of the Miss France Committee in 1981. Known for her black hats, Fontenay created the beauty pageant Miss Prestige Nationale in 2010, and served as its president until her retirement in 2016. The eldest of ten children Geneviève was born in Lorraine, her father was a mining engineer. She moved to Paris to train as a beautician at the age of 17. In the 1950s, she began to work as a fashion designer and model.

Fontenay has been outspoken about her political beliefs throughout her time as a public figure supporting Arlette Laguiller of Lutte Ouvrière in the 2002 French presidential election, Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party  (PS) in the 2007 presidential election, and François Hollandeof PS in the 2012 presidential election. She supported Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 presidential election , although she later became a critic of his.  

 

Last local news

French and Riviera News Tuesday 15 July 2025

Commemorations took place yesterday in Nice to mark the anniversary of the attack in July 2016 in which 86 people lost their lives... French and Riviera News Tuesday 15 July 2025 Read More

14/07/2025

Evening Update Monday 14th July 2025

French TV host and producer Thierry Ardisson has died in Paris at the age of 76 from liver cancer, his family announced. ... Evening Update Monday 14th July 2025 Read More

14/07/2025

French and Riviera News Monday 14 July 2025

An administrative judge has suspended an order against large cruise ships in Villefranche-sur-mer and Nice. Nice Mayor and President of the Nice Cote ... French and Riviera News Monday 14 July 2025 Read More

13/07/2025

Evening Update Friday 11th July 2025

The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has made a legal challenge against new limits on large cruise ship moorings in Nice and Villefranche.... Evening Update Friday 11th July 2025 Read More

11/07/2025

French and Riviera News Friday 11 July 2025

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron have announced a so-called "one in, one out" migrant deal aimed at reducing migr... French and Riviera News Friday 11 July 2025 Read More

10/07/2025