Brigitte Macron and Vanessa Paradis led mourners today as France’s fashion set arrived in Paris to pay tribute to the ‘elegance and beauty’ of Jane Birkin.
Joining the First Lady was the singer’s surviving daughters Charlotte Gainsbourg, 51, and Lou Doillon, 40, who cut sombre figures as they headed into the funeral.
Charlotte’s children – and Jane’s grandchildren Alice and Ben Attal – looked emotional as they walked into the Saint-Roch church in Paris, while Jane’s songs were blasted on speakers on the streets of the French capital with hundreds of people watching form the street.
Jane died following a long battle with cancer. She was 76.
Singer Etienne Daho delivered a eulogy to the singer, noting how she would now reunite with former lover Serge Gainsbourg, her late daughter Kate Barry as well as her ‘parents, friends and dogs’.
Mr Daho added that many ‘wanted to be’ the singer, who is also famed for being the inspiration for the Hermes Birkin Bag, and praised her ‘macabre British humour’.
Brigitte Macron lead the mourners today as France’s fashion set have arrived in Paris for the funeral of Jane Birkin
The first lady of France was escorted into the service by a security team
Jane Birkin’s daughters Charlotte Gainsbourg, centre, and Lou Dillon, center right, arrive to mourn their mother
Hundreds of members of the public stand outside the church during the funeral ceremony for late British-French singer and actress Jane Birkin
Mourners had cups of espresso as they sat on the streets of Paris to listen to Birkin’s music play
Jane Birkin (pictured in 1996) died aged 76 last week at her home in Paris
Dressed appropriately in all black was Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The First Lady, who is considered one of the chicest women in France, was joined by many French actors, including Vanessa Paradis, the ex-wife of Johnny Depp and her husband French filmmaker Samuel Benchetrit.
French filmstars Jose Garcia, Catherine Deneuve and Sandrine Kiberlain also turned up to mourn the star.
Ms Birkin’s music echoed around the streets of Paris as the fashion set turned up to mourn the muse.
A crowd built up around the church of Saint-Roch on Monday morning, as a close friend said she was preparing to re-join loved-ones including former boyfriend Serge Gainsbourg.
Recalling the Anglo-French showbusiness star who died last Sunday week, singer Etienne Daho said: ‘My Jane, thank you for your talent.
‘Your elegant and natural beauty, your pungent, macabre, and British humour, accompanied our gloomy adolescence. We wanted to be you, or Serge.’
Charlotte, left, joined pallbearers as they said goodbye to the fashion icon
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon, the daughters of late singer, actress and muse Jane Birkin arrive to mourn their mother
Jane’s grandon Ben Attal looked emotional as he headed into the funeral
Ben and Alice Attal, Jane’s grandchildren, joined their mother Charlotte Gainsborough and aunt Lou Doullion to mourn their grandmother
Lou chatted to a priest before heading into the service
Samuel Benchetrit, left, and his wife Vanessa Paradis arrive to Jane Birkin’s funerals ceremony at the Saint-Roch church in Paris
French actress Catherine Deneuve looked emotional as she arrived at the funeral of Jane
Algerian actress Maiwenn looked stylish in all black as she attended the funeral
Mr Daho recalled others who had died, including Mr Gainsbourg and Ms Birkin’s eldest daughter, Kate Berry, who fell from an 80ft from a window of her apartment in Paris in 2013.
‘You will find your parents, Kate, Serge, your friends and your dogs. And we will miss you terribly,’ Mr Daho said.
Marianne Faithfull, another English singer who adopted Paris as her home, posted the words: ‘My dearest Jane is gone.’
All listened to some of Ms Birkin’s hit songs – notably from the 1969 studio album Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg – which were played from giant speakers outside Saint-Roch.
Ms Birkin had fought a ‘fierce battle’ against cancer before her death.
French singers – and brothers – Alain Souchon and Pierre Souchon wore all black for the service
French photographer Tony Frank looked emotional as he headed to the church
Flowers are seen in front of the Church of Saint-Roch before the funeral of late singer, actress and muse Jane Birkin in Paris
She had described her leukaemia – which she was diagnosed with in 1998 – as a ‘not very painful cancer,’ but in May she cancelled a serious of concerts when it got worse.
She said at the time: ‘I have always been a great optimist, and I realise that I still need a little time to be able again on stage and with you’.
Ms Birkin was best known as the former lover of Mr Gainsbourg, whom she first met in 1969 while co-starring in the French satirical romantic comedy
Ms Birkin was 21 at the time, and had moved to France with her toddler daughter, Kate Barry, after a brief marriage to the James Bond composer, John Barry.
Ms Birkin and Gainsbourg’s sexually explicit song, ‘Je t’aime… moi non plus’ (I love you, nor me) was a worldwide hit, reaching Number One in the UK Charts.
This was despite it being banned from a number of stations, because it was considered too risqué.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Ms Birkin as ‘a complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her convictions were ardent. Her legacy to us is songs and images that that will not leave us.’
