Aznavour to have hommage national, Macron confirms
President Emmanuel Macron is to speak at the hommage national for the late singer Charles Aznavour, to be held at Les Invalides this Friday (October 5), it has been confirmed.
Mr Aznavour, who sold 180 million records and was often dubbed 鈥渢he French Sinatra鈥�, died overnight on Sunday 30 September, aged 94.
His death was confirmed by autopsy as caused by an 鈥渁cute pulmonary oedema鈥�, the public prosecutor at Tarascon (Bouches-du-Rh么ne) said.
The hommage national for the singer was called for by MPs on Monday October 1, and Tuesday October 2 by the Elys茅e.
High-profile names have already to the star, including singer and actress Liza Minnelli, who called him a "mentor, friend and love"; and singer and performer Lenny Kravitz, who called Aznavour a real 鈥済entleman鈥�.
The holding of an hommage national (as opposed to an hommage populaire or otherwise) has not been without controversy.
On Monday, MPs issued a call for the honour, while minister for culture Fran莽oise Nyssen said on news source FranceInfo: 鈥淔rance must honour him with a significant homage鈥� without specifying further.
Yet, Mr Aznavour鈥檚 family were of the decision.
The hommage national and hommage populaire are the two kinds of public funeral reserved for high-profile figures in France.
The 鈥渘ational鈥� is usually reserved for respected military and political figures. In recent years, it has been given to former politician Simone Veil, and Arnaud Beltrame, the lieutenant-colonel gendarme who died at the hands of terrorists in March.
The less formal 鈥減opulaire鈥� is usually given to well-loved entertainment figures and similar.
Late singer Johnny Hallyday was given the honour in December last year, with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets of Paris to pay tribute alongside a procession including 700 Harley-Davidson motorbikes.
Mr Aznavour, who was of Armenian origin and born as 鈥淪hahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian鈥�, is also being mourned in Armenia.
Hundreds of in the capital Yerevan on Monday to grieve their 鈥渟on of the people鈥�.
Similarly, Mr Aznavour was an honorary citizen of Montr茅al in French Canada. On Monday, the city鈥檚 mayor : 鈥淎 man of immense talent left us today. He took us on a journey to the sound of his poetry and music. Rest in peace, Mr Aznavour.鈥�
