Geoffroy Chodron de Courcel
Baron Geoffroy Chodron de Courcel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Tours, France |
| Died | December 9, 1992 (aged 80) Paris, France |
| Occupation(s) | Aristocrat, military officer, diplomat |
| Known for | Aide-de-Camp to Charles de Gaulle; Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom (1962–1972) |
Baron Geoffroy Chodron de Courcel (born 11 September 1912 in Tours, died 9 December 1992 in Paris) was a distinguished French aristocrat, military officer, and diplomat.
In 1940, he acted as Aide-de-Camp to Charles de Gaulle and accompanied him in fleeing to England on 17 June 1940, with assistance from General Sir Edward Spears. Geoffroy Chodron was the inaugural officer to enlist in the Free French Forces, which De Gaulle established while in London.
Beginning in 1941, he served as De Gaulle’s private secretary and subsequently led a squadron within the 1st Spahi Regiment, which was assembled from various units.
Following the conclusion of World War II, he resumed his career at the French Foreign Ministry and occupied prominent diplomatic positions, most notably as the Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom from 16 March 1962 until 20 April 1972.
Family
The Chodron de Courcel lineage belongs to the petite noblesse and received the title of Baron granted by Emperor Napoleon III.
He was the sole male heir of Baron Louis de Chodron de Courcel (1874–1962) and Alice Lambert-Champy (1886–1967). His siblings included three sisters:
- Louise, who wed Xavier Baudon de Mony
- Elisabeth, who married Olivier, comte de Chastellux
- Henriette, who became the wife of Louis, marquis de Lasteyrie
His grandfather, Baron Alphonse Chodron de Courcel, held the post of French Ambassador to London between 1894 and 1898.
Honours
- Grand-croix de la Légion d'honneur
- Compagnon de la Libération