British singer and actress and fashion icon Jane Birkin died in her home on Sunday at the age of 76.
Her death was confirmed in a tweet issued by the French Ministry of Culture. “The most French of Britons is gone. Jane B was mischief, impertinent elegance, the never-outdated emblem of an entire era, a murmuring voice that remains our idol,” they wrote. “A woman of heart, committed, whose disappearance leaves us Alone in Babylon,” they wrote to Twitter. Birkin’s cause of death was not revealed, however she suffered some recent medical setbacks including a stroke in 2021 and a broken shoulder blade earlier this year, according to ABC News.
La plus française des Britanniques s’en est allée. Jane B, c’était la malice, l’élégance impertinente, l’emblème jamais démodé de toute une époque, une voix murmurante qui reste notre idole. Une femme de coeur, engagée, dont la disparition nous laisse Alone in Babylone. pic.twitter.com/g9YGQ4mOrD
— Rima Abdul Malak (@RimaAbdulMalak) July 16, 2023
Birkin was best known for her song “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus,” and for inspiring the creation of one of the most luxurious and highly sought-after designer handbags in the world – the Birkin bag. The Birkin was created by the unmistakably haute-couture French fashion-house, Hermès, and commands among the highest price tags in the industry.
Birkin rose to fame on the set of the 1968 movie, “Slogan” when she was just 20 years old, according to CNN. She began dating her co-star, singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, and the two became a nationwide French sensation.
Parce qu’elle incarnait la liberté, qu’elle chantait les plus beaux mots de notre langue, Jane Birkin était une icône française.
Artiste complète, sa voix était aussi douce que ses engagements étaient ardents.
Elle nous lègue des airs et des images qui ne nous quitteront pas. pic.twitter.com/Ad27ngF54R
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 16, 2023
Born in London in December 1946 to Judy Campbell and David Birkin, the actress found fame — and a lifelong home — in France after moving to Paris to work on the movie Slogan when she was 20, according to CNN. On the set of the 1968 film, she met and coupled up with the film’s star, French actor and singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg.
She went on to star in films “The Blow-Up” in 1966, “Death on the Nile,” in 1978, and in 1982 film “Evil Under the Sun.”
Birkin was as known for her political activism as she was for her many talents in the fashion and entertainment realms. She was passionate about campaigning for Amnesty International, Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, and the fight against AIDS, among other causes, according to ABC News. (RELATED: Famous Bodybuilder Gustavo Badell Dead At 50)
The President of France, Emmanual Macron, was among the numerous dignitaries and high-profile figures that paid tribute to Birkin’s tremendous talents, and the impact she had on those around her during her decades-long career.
Birkin is survived by her youngest daughter Lou Doillon, who she shared with director Jacques Doillon, and her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg, whom she shared with Serge Gainsbourg.