On 3 August 1954, she became the first woman in French history to receive a state funeral, even though the Catholic Church refused her a religious funeral because of her three divorces. Who is this writer?
The answer
Colette died on 3 August 1954 and became the first woman to receive a state funeral in France. The Catholic Church, citing her three divorces, refused her a religious funeral: the ceremony was therefore strictly civil, followed by an immense crowd gathering outside the Palais-Royal.
This question belongs to the “Writers and Poets” series of the Père-Lachaise quiz: ten questions, a story behind every right answer.