Charles and Yvonne de Gaulle Statue

The statue of Charles and Yvonne de Gaulle, in Calais

The statue of Charles and Yvonne de Gaulle recalls the intimate link of the general with Calais, where he married Yvonne Vendroux. The Calais audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this monument, a tribute to the couple and the history of the town.

The de Gaulle couple and Calais

The statue represents General Charles de Gaulle and his wife Yvonne, née Vendroux, originally from Calais. It is in this town that the couple married at the beginning of the twentieth century, at Notre-Dame Church, sealing a personal and lasting link between the future leader of Free France and the Calais city. Yvonne de Gaulle, a discreet but essential figure alongside the general, came from a Calais family linked to the lace industry. The monument pays tribute to this couple and to this particular attachment, and inscribes the history of Calais in the great history of France.

What to see

You admire the statue of the couple formed by General de Gaulle and his wife Yvonne, native of Calais, who married in the town, a tribute to this personal link and the history of the city. The statue inscribes Calais in the great history of France. It is a stop for those curious about history, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The statue of Charles and Yvonne de Gaulle lies in Calais, reachable on foot. It is an open-air work, freely visible from the public space. You discover it during a walk in the town.

What is the link between de Gaulle and Calais?

General de Gaulle married in Calais, at Notre-Dame Church, Yvonne Vendroux, native of the town and from a family linked to the lace industry; the statue pays tribute to this couple.

Where is the statue of Charles and Yvonne de Gaulle?

In Calais, in France.