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First Lady of Lebanon

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First Lady of Lebanon
Incumbent
[Vacant]
ResidenceBaabda Palace
WebsiteFirst 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)

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Name Portrait Term Began Term Ended President of Lebanon Notes
Laudi Sursock
(acting) 		November 11, 1943 November 22, 1943 Émile Eddé
(acting)
Laure Shiha November 22, 1943 September 18, 1952 Bechara El Khoury First president and first lady following independence[3]
Rose René Poitieux
(acting) 		September 18, 1952 September 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 September 23, 1952 September 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, 1958 September 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 September 23, 1964 September 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, 1970 September 22, 1976 Suleiman Frangieh Iris Handaly, also spelled Iris Hendili,[7] was Egyptian-born.
Vacant[8] September 23, 1976 September 22, 1982 Élias Sarkis President Sarkis was a bachelor who never married.[8]
Solange Gemayel
(First Lady-designate) 		August 23, 1982 September 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, 1982 September 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, 1988 November 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, 1988 October 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 November 5, 1989 November 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, 1989 November 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, 1998 November 24, 2007 Émile Lahoud Born Andrée Amadouni, she married Émile Lahoud in 1967.
Vacant presidency
Wafaa Sleiman May 25, 2008 May 24, 2014 Michel Suleiman Wafaa Sleiman married Suleiman in 1973.[2]
Vacant presidency
Nadia El-Chami October 31, 2016 October 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]

References

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  1. ^ "The First Lady". Office of the President of Lebanon. 2020-09-09. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  2. ^ a b "Biography: The First Lady Wafaa Sleiman". Office of the President of Lebanon. 2020-09-09. Archived from the original on 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  3. ^ "Cheikh Bechara El Khoury biography". Presidency of Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2012-04-27. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  4. ^ a b c "Fouad Chehab-Poor, But..." The Monthly (Lebanon). 2014-04-04. Archived from the original on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  5. ^ العلي (Al-Ali), ياسمينة (Yasmina) (April 2017). محكمة" تكشف خطأ في طابع بريدي: بوليت أمسلند أوّل محامية وليست نينا طراد" ["Court" reveals a mistake in the postage stamp: Paulette Amsland first lawyer, not Nina Trad]. Mahkama Magazine (in Arabic). Vol. 16. Al-Nabi Shayth, Beqaa, Lebanon. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  6. ^ Schreim, Ghada (October 1995). "Charles Helou: A President Remembers". Prestige. No. 29. Baabda, Lebanon. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  7. ^ "President Suleiman Frangieh biography". Presidency of Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  8. ^ a b Krebs, Albin (1985-06-28). "Elias Sarkis of Lebanon, 60, Dies; Served as the President, 1976-1982". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  9. ^ "Cheikh Bachir Gemayel biography". Presidency of Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  10. ^ "Women in Lebanese Elections: Second-Class Citizens". Aswat. 7 October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 August 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  11. ^ "Where are our women MPs?". NOW News. 2009-05-11. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  12. ^ a b Asser, Martin (2006-11-21). "Obituary: Pierre Gemayel". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  13. ^ a b Boustany, Nora (1989-11-14). "Hoss Named Premier in Lebanon". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  14. ^ "Salim Hoss, A prime minister so misunderstood". Prestige. February 2000. Archived from the original on 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  15. ^ a b c "President Elias Hrawi biography". Presidency of Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2013-09-06. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  16. ^ Kifner, John (1989-11-25). "Man In The News: Elias Hrawi; An Earthy Politician Who Makes Both Ends Meet". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  17. ^ a b c d "Mona Haroui: "I have no secrets"". Prestige. 1995-04-23. Archived from the original on 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  18. ^ a b "The President of the Republic of Lebanon General Michel Aoun". Presidency of the Republic of Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
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