In Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, La Boisserie is not just any house. It is where Charles de Gaulle lived, worked, and then passed away in 1970, in this residence nestled in a landscape that has become, over the decades, a place of national remembrance. The public visits it, their gaze lingers, the State keeps a close watch on it… all the while reminding everyone of a stubborn reality: the property remains private.
However, since Philippe de Gaulle's death in 2024, the succession has triggered a period of family tensions, and the issue has entered the public sphere. The General's four grandsons inherited his estate, and ten months after his passing, one decision made a strong impression: to part with some of his assets. The original copy of the Appeal of June 18th was donated to the State, a highly symbolic gesture, while other items were auctioned off, with a watch fetching up to €530.000. These are striking figures, and they raise a simple, almost blunt, question: Could La Boisserie itself be sold?
A private place, a public symbol
In the hushed corridors of heritage, a rumor is sometimes enough to put everyone on alert. Historian Jean-Luc Barré, biographer of Charles de Gaulle, says he discussed the subject with Emmanuel Macron Following persistent rumors of interest from Chinese or Russian buyers, the prospect of a foreign purchase for a house near the Cross of Lorraine and the Charles de Gaulle Memorial has unsurprisingly raised eyebrows in a country where certain places are valued far beyond their real estate worth. Beyond the owner, what is at stake is the preservation of the rooms, the continuity of public access, and the maintenance of a symbolic significance.
The saga becomes even more complicated with the changes in the estate's ownership. Charles de Gaulle, the eldest grandson and former Member of the European Parliament, has sold his shares to his brother, Pierre de Gaulle, who now reportedly owns 50% of La Boisserie. Pierre de Gaulle visited Russia in 2023, during the war in Ukraine, and openly expresses his admiration for Vladimir Putin. In this context, every capital transaction surrounding the estate is scrutinized, commented on, and sometimes exploited, making it understandable that the French state is keeping a close eye on the situation, even from a distance.
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