French national-conservative politician Marine Le Pen will attend the funeral of movie star Brigitte Bardot next week, a representative of Le Pen's team announced on Tuesday, LETA reported citing AFP.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who paid tribute to Bardot on Sunday, calling her a legend of the 20th century, will not be present at the funeral, a source in the presidential administration reported.
Bardot, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 91, faced criticism in her later years for her anti-immigration views and support for far-right forces. She was repeatedly fined for inciting hatred, including against Muslims.
A well-known animal rights advocate, Bardot supported Le Pen during her presidential campaigns in 2012 and 2017, calling her a modern-day Joan of Arc who could save the country.
The presidential administration offered Bardot's family to organize a state farewell ceremony for the actress, but, according to a source in Macron's office, no response to this proposal was received.
Conservative politician Eric Ciotti proposed to hold a national farewell for Bardot, similar to the one organized in 2018 for French rock star Johnny Hallyday, but this idea met with disagreement in the left political camp.
The leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, stated that he opposes it, especially because Bardot "was repeatedly condemned for racism."
The Bardot Animal Protection Foundation announced that her funeral will take place on January 7 in one of the churches in Saint-Tropez. A private burial ceremony will follow, the location of which the foundation did not disclose.
Bardot had lived in Saint-Tropez since 1958, when she purchased a house in the town on the French Riviera. She previously stated that she wanted to be buried in the garden of her home.
"I would prefer to rest there, rather than in the cemetery of Saint-Tropez, where a crowd of idiots could destroy the graves of my parents and grandparents," the actress said in an interview with Le Monde in 2018.
Saint-Tropez Mayor Sylvie Siri told local media that Bardot's last wish was fulfilled, but she did not disclose details.
Bardot's fourth husband was Bernard d'Ormal, who was an advisor to far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen. Later, his daughter Marine Le Pen inherited the leadership of the party.
