Private family funeral held for Jean-Marie Le Pen

A funeral was held on Saturday for Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s main far-right party.

Le Pen who was a polarizing figure in French politics, died on Tuesday at 96.

Marine Le Pen and one of her two sisters, Marie-Caroline, walked the few hundred metres between the family home and the small church of Saint-Joseph.

Around 200 people were expected to be seated inside the church. After the ceremony Le Pen will be buried in the vault where his parents rest.

Dozens of police were deployed to implement a ban against any demonstrations that could disturb services for Le Pen, whose death at a care facility in Garches sparked celebrations by those who opposed him.

While Saturday’s funeral remained a strictly family-only event, a public ceremony is scheduled for January16th at the Notre Dame du Val-de-Grâce church in Paris, offering supporters and critics a chance to reflect on his controversial impact on the nation’s political landscape.