First Lady of Lebanon

Last updated
First Lady of Lebanon
Flag of Lebanon.svg
Incumbent
[Vacant]
Residence Baabda Palace
Website First Lady of the Republic of Lebanon

The First Lady of Lebanon is the title attributed to the wife of the President of Lebanon. [1] [2] The country's most recent first lady was Nadia Aoun, wife of former President General Michel Aoun

List of first ladies of the Lebanese Republic (1943–present)

NamePortraitTerm BeganTerm Ended President of Lebanon Notes
Laudi Sursock
(acting)
November 11, 1943November 22, 1943 Émile Eddé
(acting)
Laure Shiha November 22, 1943September 18, 1952 Bechara El Khoury First president and first lady following independence [3]
Rose René Poitieux
(acting)
September 18, 1952September 22, 1952 Fouad Chehab
(acting)
Chehab married Rose René Poitieux, the daughter of a French Army officer who was killed in World War I, at the Carmelite Church in Qbayyat Akkar on December 27, 1926. [4] They had no children. [4]
Zelpha Tabet Zelpha Tabet, primeira-dama do Libano, 1954.tif September 23, 1952September 22, 1958 Camille Chamoun Lebanon's second president and first lady. Zelpha Tabet married Chamoun in 1930. They had two sons, Dany Chamoun and Dory Chamoun, both of whom became politicians in the National Liberal Party (NLP). Former First Lady Zelpha Tabet died in 1971.
Rose René Poitieux September 23, 1958September 22, 1964 Fouad Chehab French-born. Chehab married Rose René Poitieux, the daughter of a French Army officer who was killed in World War I, at the Carmelite Church in Qbayyat Akkar on December 27, 1926. [4]
Nina Helou Nina (l) and Charles Helou (r) at the Vatican.png September 23, 1964September 22, 1970 Charles Helou Born Nina Trad, Helou became the second woman to be admitted to the bar association of the French Mandate of Lebanon in January 1932. [5] Nina Helou oversaw the completion of the Baabda Palace and the renovation of the Beiteddine Palace during her tenure as first lady. [6]
Iris Handaly September 23, 1970September 22, 1976 Suleiman Frangieh Iris Handaly, also spelled Iris Hendili, [7] was Egyptian-born.
Vacant [8] September 23, 1976September 22, 1982 Élias Sarkis President Sarkis was a bachelor who never married. [8]
Solange Gemayel
(First Lady-designate)
Solange Gemayel.png August 23, 1982September 14, 1982 Bachir Gemayel Born Solange Tutunji. [9] Bachir Gemayel, who was elected President of Lebanon, was assassinated on September 14, 1982, days before he was expected to sworn into office. His widow, Solange Gemayel, was the First Lady-designate until his assassination. She was later elected to the Parliament of Lebanon, representing a Beirut constituency, from 2005 until her retirement from office in 2009 in favor of her son, Nadim. [10] [11]
Joyce Gemayel September 23, 1982September 22, 1988 Amine Gemayel Amine Gemayel was elected President of Lebanon on September 21, 1982, following the assassination of his brother, President-elect Bachir Gemayel. As a result, Joyce Gemayel became first lady from 1982 until 1988. Born Joyce Tyan, she married Amine Gemayel in 1967. The Gamayels are considered one of Lebanon's most prominent Christian political families. [12] Her children include Samy Gemayel and Pierre Amine Gemayel, who was assassinated in 2006. [12]
Leila Pharaoun
(acting)
(disputed with Nadia El-Chami)
September 22, 1988November 5, 1989 Selim Hoss
(acting)
(disputed with Michel Aoun)
Sometimes spelled Leila Pharaoun [13] or Leyla Pharaon. Acting First Lady Leila Pharaoun was a Maronite Christian, while her husband, acting President Selim Hoss, was Sunni Muslim. [13] [14] She also served as the wife of the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1976–1980, 1987–1990, and 1998–2000.
Nadia El-Chami
(acting)
(disputed with Leila Pharaoun)
September 22, 1988October 13, 1990 Michel Aoun
(acting)
(disputed with Selim Hoss)
Michel Aoun and Selim Hoss disputed the offices of the President and Prime Minister.
Nayla Moawad Presidente nayla.jpg November 5, 1989November 22, 1989 René Moawad Nayla Moawad served as First Lady of Lebanon for just 17 days until her husband, President René Moawad, was assassinated on November 22, 1989, during the Lebanese Civil War. First elected to the Parliament of Lebanon in 1991, Moawad served as Minister of Social Affairs in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora from July 19, 2005, until July 11, 2008.
Mona Jammal November 24, 1989November 24, 1998 Elias Hrawi Mona Jammal was the second wife of President Elias Hrawi. [15] Jammal was born in Baalbeck, Lebanon, but raised in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. [16] Her father was Palestinian and her mother was Lebanese. [17] Her father died when she was 9-years old. [17] Following his death, her mother and sisters returned to Lebanon, while Jammal lived with her aunt in Amman, Jordan, where she completed high school before until she moved to Baalbeck at the age of 17. [17] Mona Jammal married Elias Hrawi in 1961. [17] [15] They had two daughters, Zalfa and Roula. [15]
Andrée Lahoud November 24, 1998November 24, 2007 Émile Lahoud Born Andrée Amadouni, she married Émile Lahoud in 1967.
Vacant presidency
Wafaa Sleiman Wafaa Sleiman.jpg May 25, 2008May 24, 2014 Michel Suleiman Wafaa Sleiman married Suleiman in 1973. [2]
Vacant presidency
Nadia El-Chami Nadia El-Chami Aoun 2018 P038055-687569 (cropped).jpg October 31, 2016October 31, 2022 Michel Aoun First Lady of Lebanon from 2016–2022. Chami married Michel Aoun on November 30, 1968. [18] They have three daughters: Mireille, Claudine and Chantal. [18]

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References

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