Illness and death of Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou was the 19th president of France. He died on 2 April 1974 at the age of 62 after suffering from Waldenström macroglobulinemia, a blood cancer, for several years. He was the first French president to die in office in the Fifth Republic and the fourth overall.
Pompidou had been prime minister under Charles de Gaulle and won the 1969 presidential election against Alain Poher. For years his health was kept private, which led to rumors about his condition and possible resignation.
Doctors say he had the disease for several years, with treatment that sometimes caused swelling, weight gain, and a slower walk. He delegated many duties to his secretary-general, Édouard Balladur, and rarely went to the Élysée Palace, choosing to work at home.
In early 1974, official health updates were cautious. By March, his medical team said he could survive only a few months. He chaired his last cabinet meeting on 27 March and planned to retire.
On 2 April, Pompidou fell ill at his Paris home, the Hôtel Hesselin, and died that evening from complications related to a weakened immune system. His death was announced at 22:15 on the state broadcaster ORTF.
He was buried in Orvilliers on 4 April in a simple grave, as he had requested in his will. A state Requiem Mass was held on 6 April at Notre-Dame de Paris, and the day was declared a national day of mourning. France also withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest that year.
Alain Poher became acting president after Pompidou’s death. A presidential election was held in May 1974, and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing won against François Mitterrand in the second round.
Pompidou’s sudden health secrecy sparked debate about how presidents should handle health issues in office. Since then, some leaders have been more open about health, but practices vary.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:29 (CET).