American Marconi Wireless News - Screen legend Delon's funeral set for Saturday: priest

Jean-Michel Di Falco, a former bishop in the southeastern city of Gap, said he had been asked by the actor to hold the funeral service.

He gave no place or time for the ceremony, but French news channels CNews and BFMTV said it would take place at 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) in Douchy-Montcorbon, a village in central France where Delon had a property surrounded by high walls and where he spent his final years.

Delon had said he did not want a national memorial event, but rather a burial near his dogs on his property in Douchy.

Such a burial on private property requires, however, special permission from local authorities. It was not clear whether such authorisation has been granted.

France has been paying homage to Delon, one of the country's biggest stars, who was also shadowed by controversy.

He was one of the last living legends of a golden era for French cinema in the 1960s.

While he had legions of fans around the world, his personal life and political opinions divided opinion.

Delon's relationship with women caused controversy. His sons accused him of domestic violence, which Delon denied while admitting slapping women during quarrels.

Delon also drew criticism for supporting Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the far-right National Front, who was in favour of the death penalty and spoke against same-sex relationships.

Feminists were also appalled by the lifetime achievement award the Cannes Film Festival gave him in 2019.

He lived his later years largely as a recluse, though his personal life kept him in the headlines.

In 2023, his three children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behaviour.

The siblings went on to wage a public battle in the media and the courts, arguing over his health, which worsened after a stroke in 2019.

A.Mahlangu--AMWN