Alain Delon to be buried at his estate in strict privacy

Alain Delon will be laid to rest at his country estate on August 24 in "the strictest privacy," as per his wishes.

The ceremony will be attended by a select group of 40 mourners, who have been asked not to take any photographs, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The French actor, who passed away at 88 on Sunday, had specifically requested a private burial without a national tribute. He will be interred in the chapel he built at his estate, La Brûlerie, in Douchy, Loiret, about 85 miles southeast of Paris. The estate, purchased in the 1970s, includes a cemetery where Delon had previously buried at least 35 of his pet dogs.

Delon had requested that his Belgian malinois, Loubo, be buried with him. However, following protests from animal rights advocates, his three children — Anthony, 59, Anouchka, 33, and Alain-Fabien, 30 — have decided to keep Loubo within the family, though it remains unclear who will care for the dog.

A Catholic funeral mass will be conducted by Monsignor Jean-Michel Di Falco, a longtime friend of Delon. Di Falco, former bishop of Gap, has previously overseen the funerals of notable figures including Mireille Darc, Charles Trenet, and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

To ensure privacy, mourners have been instructed to seal their mobile phones in plastic bags and no aerial footage will be permitted, as the local prefecture has banned drones and aircraft from flying over the estate.

Delon, known for his iconic roles in films like Plein Soleil, Le Samouraï, and Rocco and His Brothers, had not been seen in the village for several years due to health issues, including a stroke in 2019 and lymphoma diagnosed in 2022.