Aline Claire Allard (December 25, 1912 – September 7, 1977) was a French Laotian diplomat and public figure. She was married to the prominent Laotian politician Souvanna Phouma from 1933 until their divorce in 1969, and she is thought to have been a major influence during his years as prime minister.
Aline Claire Allard was born in Xiangkhouang, Laos, in 1912. [1] [2] The country was then a French protectorate. Her father was Numa Prosper Allard, a French civil servant who served as the president of Laos' chamber of commerce and agriculture. [1] [3] [4] Her mother was Laotian. [2]
She traveled to study in Hanoi and subsequently in Paris. [1] There, she attended the École normale supérieure de Fontenay-aux-Roses. [2] After graduating, she began working in diplomacy, starting in Geneva at the Palace of Nations. [2] From 1957 to 1959, she worked as an advisor to the Assembly of the French Union, and she also led Laotian delegations to various United Nations bodies throughout her career. [2] [5] In these fora, she was particularly involved in issues of hunger and of women's roles in the Third World. [2] [6] [7] She also spent a period as Laos' director of international cultural relations. [2]
From 1958 until her death, she was a member of the Overseas Academy of Sciences . In Laos, she was designated as a commander in the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, and in France she was named a knight of the Ordre des Palmes académiques and of the Legion of Honour. [2]
In 1933, Allard married Souvanna Phouma, a powerful Laotian politician who served several stints as prime minister between 1951 and 1975. [1] [8] The couple had four children, including the political activist Mangkra Souvanna Phouma. [1] Allard was Roman Catholic, and she raised her children Catholic as well. [9] [10]
After her marriage, Allard became known as Princess Souvanna Phouma. [1] As Laos' first lady, she gained a reputation for her "lively intelligence" and "flair for politics," and she was considered a major influence on her husband's political decision-making. [11] [12] [13] Some commentators at the time considered her to be the source of Phouma's somewhat pro- Western attitudes. [14]
Allard and Phouma divorced in 1969. [1] She died of a heart attack in 1977 on the Île de Ré, off France's Atlantic coast, where she had a summer home. [1] [2] [15]
Aline Claire Allard (December 25, 1912 – September 7, 1977) was a French Laotian diplomat and public figure. She was married to the prominent Laotian politician Souvanna Phouma from 1933 until their divorce in 1969, and she is thought to have been a major influence during his years as prime minister.
Aline Claire Allard was born in Xiangkhouang, Laos, in 1912. [1] [2] The country was then a French protectorate. Her father was Numa Prosper Allard, a French civil servant who served as the president of Laos' chamber of commerce and agriculture. [1] [3] [4] Her mother was Laotian. [2]
She traveled to study in Hanoi and subsequently in Paris. [1] There, she attended the École normale supérieure de Fontenay-aux-Roses. [2] After graduating, she began working in diplomacy, starting in Geneva at the Palace of Nations. [2] From 1957 to 1959, she worked as an advisor to the Assembly of the French Union, and she also led Laotian delegations to various United Nations bodies throughout her career. [2] [5] In these fora, she was particularly involved in issues of hunger and of women's roles in the Third World. [2] [6] [7] She also spent a period as Laos' director of international cultural relations. [2]
From 1958 until her death, she was a member of the Overseas Academy of Sciences . In Laos, she was designated as a commander in the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, and in France she was named a knight of the Ordre des Palmes académiques and of the Legion of Honour. [2]
In 1933, Allard married Souvanna Phouma, a powerful Laotian politician who served several stints as prime minister between 1951 and 1975. [1] [8] The couple had four children, including the political activist Mangkra Souvanna Phouma. [1] Allard was Roman Catholic, and she raised her children Catholic as well. [9] [10]
After her marriage, Allard became known as Princess Souvanna Phouma. [1] As Laos' first lady, she gained a reputation for her "lively intelligence" and "flair for politics," and she was considered a major influence on her husband's political decision-making. [11] [12] [13] Some commentators at the time considered her to be the source of Phouma's somewhat pro- Western attitudes. [14]
Allard and Phouma divorced in 1969. [1] She died of a heart attack in 1977 on the Île de Ré, off France's Atlantic coast, where she had a summer home. [1] [2] [15]