- Title: Dignitaries arrive at Elysee palace for lunch with Macron after Chirac funeral
- Date: 30th September 2019
- Summary: GUESTS WALKING INTO ELYSEE COURTYARD
- Embargoed: 14th October 2019 14:27
- Keywords: Jacques Chirac Sergio Mattarella Nicolas Sarkozy Emmanuel Macron Guy Verhofstadt funeral Saad Hariri Bill Clinton Elysee Francois Hollande
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002AYUOABR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CAN BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITS 1127-FRANCE-CHIRAC/HONORS / 1134-FRANCE-CHIRAC/CEREMONY / 1153-FRANCE-CHIRAC/CHURCH-LEADERS/ 1147-FRANCE-CHIRAC/CHURCH-ARRIVALS AND 8055-PEOPLE-JACQUES CHIRAC/FILE
French president Emmanuel Macron welcomed world leaders and other dignitaries on Monday (September 30) at Paris' Elysee presidential palace for lunch after the funeral of former president of France Jacques Chirac.
High-profile guests, including former United States president Bill Clinton and former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, lined up in the courtyard of the Elysee to greet Macron before lunch began.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and European Member of Parliament Guy Verhofstadt were among the invitees to the Elysee after Chirac's funeral ceremony at Saint Sulpice church.
Former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande were also welcomed to the palace to celebrate the life of Chirac.
A somber-looking Macron bowed his head in front of Chirac's casket before 10 members of the elite Republican guard lifted the coffin onto their shoulders and marched out of the building's courtyard as a band played Chopin's funeral march.
Chirac, who served as president from 1995 to 2007, was feted by many French people for asserting their country's role as a global player, a stance that put him at odds with Washington over the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Chirac was from his earliest years a member of the French establishment, but he also had a knack for connecting with ordinary people outside the urban elite. A court conviction after he left office for misusing public funds did little to tarnish his image.
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