Chantal Biya

Early life

Chantal Biya was born in Dimako, East Province, Cameroon. Her father was French expatriate Georges Vigouroux. Her mother, Rosette Ndongo Mengolo, was a Miss Doumé pageant winner. Her mother was elected mayor of Bangou following the July 2007 municipal elections. She spent her adolescence in Yaoundé.

Philanthropy

She established the Fondation Chantal Biya in 1994. In 1996, she hosted the inaugural First Ladies Summit in Yaoundé. The Jeunesse active pour Chantal Biya is an organ of her husband's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement.

Corruption

Paul and Chantal Biya's corruption and the theft of national assets of Cameroon has been well-documented. With her son Franck Hertz, she purchased apartments in Paris despite no visible income. U.S. diplomatic cables confirm endemic corruption in Cameroon, which reportedly amounted to more than $650 million between 2017 and 2022.

Bertrand Teyou

In November 2010, Bertrand Teyou published a book, La belle de la république bananière : Chantal Biya, de la rue au palais (English: "The Belle of the Banana Republic: Chantal Biya, from the Streets to the Palace"), tracing Biya's rise from humble origins to become First Lady. He was subsequently given a two-year prison term on charges of "insult to character" and organising an "illegal demonstration" for attempting to hold a public reading.

Amnesty International and PEN International's Writers in Prison Committee both protested his arrest and issued appeals on his behalf. Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience. He was freed in April 2011 when a well wisher agreed to pay his fine in order that he might seek treatment for his worsening health.

Personal life

She married Paul Biya, who is 36 years her senior, on 23 April 1994, after his first wife, Jeanne-Irène Biya, died in 1992.

She has twin sons Franck and Patrick Hertz (born 1987) with her first husband. With Paul Biya, she has two children: Paul Jr. and Brenda Biya.

Chantal Biya is known for her elaborate hairstyles. Particularly Mrs. Biya's use of wigs, her signature style is called the banane, and is used for formal occasions. Biya has popularised other styles. Collectively, they are known as the Chantal Biya. She is known for her exotic dresses, including designer dresses, and for her designer purses. Among her favourite designers are high-end European labels such as Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.