Fans of film legend Alain Delon gathered at the entrance to his country estate Saturday ahead of his funeral to be attended only by his children and a few dozen other family members and friends. Thousands of fans were expected to pay respects outside of the gates of his La Brulerie manor south of Paris where he is to be laid to rest near his beloved dogs.

The 88-year-old star of such classics as "Le Samourai", "The Leopard" and "Purple Noon", and who was one described as "Europe's James Dean", died on Sunday. French police set up roadblocks near the manor in the village of Douchy, with the airspace overhead also closed for the whole of the weekend.

The 50 or so mourners allowed into the estate's private chapel will have to leave their mobile phones at the door. All week hundreds of fans have gathered outside the gates of La Brulerie to leave floral tributes and cards. Hours before the ceremony, a crowd had already begun to gather.

Delon's three children -- who were with him when he died -- told AFP that they were "extremely touched by the fervour and affection shown by his fans in France and across the world."

Rosalie van Breemen, Delon's ex-wife and mother of his children Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, will be present, as will actors Nicole Calfan, Muriel Robin and Geraldine Danon, sources close to proceedings told AFP.

The ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 pm (1400 GMT).

Since his death, France has been paying homage to Delon, one of the country's biggest but most divisive stars. 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, Delon's relationship with women caused controversy. His sons accused him of domestic violence, which Delon denied while admitting slapping women during quarrels.

The actor also drew criticism for supporting Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the far-right National Front, and his opposition to same-sex relationships. Feminists were appalled by the lifetime achievement award the Cannes Film Festival gave him in 2019.

Delon lived his later years largely as a recluse, though his personal life kept him in the headlines.&nbsp;In 2023, his three children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behaviour.&nbsp;

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. Even in death, he was still making headlines after it emerged that he asked for his favourite dog to be put down and buried with him.

But his longtime friend and fellow 1960s screen icon Brigitte Bardot said the Belgian malinois called Loubo that shared his last years would be spared. "The family of Alain Delon have confirmed to us that they will take care of him. Loubo will of course not be euthanised," her foundation said on the X social media platform.

"I have absolutely no fear of death," the actor insisted in 2011, posing for photographs outside the tomb where he intended to be buried.

Despite his reputation as an inveterate womaniser both on and off the screen, Delon, a Catholic, said his "mad passion" was for the Virgin Mary.

"She is the woman I love most in the world," he said, "the one I talk most to."

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Fans of film legend Alain Delon gathered at the entrance to his country estate Saturday ahead of his funeral to be attended only by his children and a few dozen other family members and friends.

Fans of film legend Alain Delon gathered at the entrance to his country estate Saturday ahead of his funeral to be attended only by his children and a few dozen other family members and friends. Thousands of fans were expected to pay respects outside of the gates of his La Brulerie manor south of Paris where he is to be laid to rest near his beloved dogs. The 88-year-old star of such classics as "Le Samourai", "The Leopard" and "Purple Noon", and who was one described as "Europe's James Dean", died on Sunday. French police set up roadblocks near the manor in the village of Douchy, with the airspace overhead also closed for the whole of the weekend. The 50 or so mourners allowed into the estate's private chapel will have to leave their mobile phones at the door. All week hundreds of fans have gathered outside the gates of La Brulerie to leave floral tributes and cards. Hours before the ceremony, a crowd had already begun to gather. Delon's three children -- who were with him when he died -- told AFP that they were "extremely touched by the fervour and affection shown by his fans in France and across the world." Rosalie van Breemen, Delon's ex-wife and mother of his children Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, will be present, as will actors Nicole Calfan, Muriel Robin and Geraldine Danon, sources close to proceedings told AFP. The ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 pm (1400 GMT). Since his death, France has been paying homage to Delon, one of the country's biggest but most divisive stars. 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, Delon's relationship with women caused controversy. His sons accused him of domestic violence, which Delon denied while admitting slapping women during quarrels. The actor also drew criticism for supporting Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the far-right National Front, and his opposition to same-sex relationships. Feminists were appalled by the lifetime achievement award the Cannes Film Festival gave him in 2019. Delon 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. Even in death, he was still making headlines after it emerged that he asked for his favourite dog to be put down and buried with him. But his longtime friend and fellow 1960s screen icon Brigitte Bardot said the Belgian malinois called Loubo that shared his last years would be spared. "The family of Alain Delon have confirmed to us that they will take care of him. Loubo will of course not be euthanised," her foundation said on the X social media platform. "I have absolutely no fear of death," the actor insisted in 2011, posing for photographs outside the tomb where he intended to be buried. Despite his reputation as an inveterate womaniser both on and off the screen, Delon, a Catholic, said his "mad passion" was for the Virgin Mary. "She is the woman I love most in the world," he said, "the one I talk most to." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Fans mourn as film legend Delon is buried near his dogs

France on Monday paid homage to film legend Alain Delon following his death at 88, with tributes pouring in for the actor who became one of his country's biggest stars, but was also shadowed by controversy. Delon had made it clear he did not want a national memorial event, but rather burial near his dogs on his property in Douchy in central France where he died.

He had already started sounding out the&nbsp;authorities and had their agreement in principle, local official Christophe Hurault told AFP. His three children, Anthony, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, having squabbled bitterly for months over his medical treatment, spoke in a unified voice Sunday when they announced their father's death.

Now they have to manage the funeral of the screen icon, deciding whether to limit it to close family or extend it to the cinema world. Delon, naturally, dominated the front pages of France's newspapers Monday, many of them featuring full-page portraits of the actor in his prime.

"The Last Samurai", wrote Le Figaro for its front-page headline, a reference to one of his most famous roles, as the enigmatic assassin in Jean-Pierre Melville's 1967 thriller "Le Samourai".

- End of an era -

Delon's performances in some of the greatest films of the 1960s and 70s were widely praised, his charisma on screen impossible to ignore. He was one of the last living legends of a golden era for French cinema in the 1960s.

Fellow 60s star Brigitte Bardot, 89, told AFP Delon "leaves a huge void that nothing, nobody, can fill". Nathalie Baye, who starred with him in the film "Our Story", said Delon was "not a fun guy" but, she added, "very endearing".

French President Emmanuel Macron called him a "French monument" who "played legendary roles and made the world dream". His death was covered by newspapers around the world, with the New York Times, Washington Post and New York Post all publishing lengthy obituaries.&nbsp;

The Washington Post described him as the "angel-faced tough guy of international cinema", while The Hollywood Reporter said he was the "seductive star of European cinema". "Mesmeric and beautiful, Alain Delon was one of cinema's most mysterious stars," The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw wrote.

Germany's Spiegel called him "Europe's James Dean", while Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the "aura of the handsome angel of death made him a legend".

In Italy, where he spent much of his career, Il Corriere della Sera said that "there will never be another actor like Delon, unique and immortal".

"For me, he was a legend," 26-year-old moviegoer Victor Roussel told AFP before a showing of his 1963 film "The Leopard" at a Paris cinema Sunday.

- Controversial views -

In Japan, another solid fanbase for Delon, many film buffs also mourned the death of the "handsome" actor from France. "My friends in their 70s and 80s are still all madly in love with him. Even at 88, he looked great," Delon fan Seta, 74, told AFP on Monday.

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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;

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. Delon lived out his final years in the small village of Douchy, surrounded by high walls.

Outside the entrance to his home, dozens of fans placed flowers to pay their respects. "In our minds we believe that these icons are eternal," said Marie Arnold, laying white flowers with her sister Michele. 
"It's a part of our youth that is gone."

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

France on Monday paid homage to film legend Alain Delon following his death at 88, with tributes pouring in for the actor who became one of his country's biggest stars, but was also shadowed by controversy.

France on Monday paid homage to film legend Alain Delon following his death at 88, with tributes pouring in for the actor who became one of his country's biggest stars, but was also shadowed by controversy. Delon had made it clear he did not want a national memorial event, but rather burial near his dogs on his property in Douchy in central France where he died. He had already started sounding out the authorities and had their agreement in principle, local official Christophe Hurault told AFP. His three children, Anthony, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, having squabbled bitterly for months over his medical treatment, spoke in a unified voice Sunday when they announced their father's death. Now they have to manage the funeral of the screen icon, deciding whether to limit it to close family or extend it to the cinema world. Delon, naturally, dominated the front pages of France's newspapers Monday, many of them featuring full-page portraits of the actor in his prime. "The Last Samurai", wrote Le Figaro for its front-page headline, a reference to one of his most famous roles, as the enigmatic assassin in Jean-Pierre Melville's 1967 thriller "Le Samourai". - End of an era - Delon's performances in some of the greatest films of the 1960s and 70s were widely praised, his charisma on screen impossible to ignore. He was one of the last living legends of a golden era for French cinema in the 1960s. Fellow 60s star Brigitte Bardot, 89, told AFP Delon "leaves a huge void that nothing, nobody, can fill". Nathalie Baye, who starred with him in the film "Our Story", said Delon was "not a fun guy" but, she added, "very endearing". French President Emmanuel Macron called him a "French monument" who "played legendary roles and made the world dream". His death was covered by newspapers around the world, with the New York Times, Washington Post and New York Post all publishing lengthy obituaries. The Washington Post described him as the "angel-faced tough guy of international cinema", while The Hollywood Reporter said he was the "seductive star of European cinema". "Mesmeric and beautiful, Alain Delon was one of cinema's most mysterious stars," The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw wrote. Germany's Spiegel called him "Europe's James Dean", while Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the "aura of the handsome angel of death made him a legend". In Italy, where he spent much of his career, Il Corriere della Sera said that "there will never be another actor like Delon, unique and immortal". "For me, he was a legend," 26-year-old moviegoer Victor Roussel told AFP before a showing of his 1963 film "The Leopard" at a Paris cinema Sunday. - Controversial views - In Japan, another solid fanbase for Delon, many film buffs also mourned the death of the "handsome" actor from France. "My friends in their 70s and 80s are still all madly in love with him. Even at 88, he looked great," Delon fan Seta, 74, told AFP on Monday. 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. Delon lived out his final years in the small village of Douchy, surrounded by high walls. Outside the entrance to his home, dozens of fans placed flowers to pay their respects. "In our minds we believe that these icons are eternal," said Marie Arnold, laying white flowers with her sister Michele. "It's a part of our youth that is gone." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

France pays tribute to screen legend Alain Delon

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Fans mourn as film legend Delon is buried near his dogs

France pays tribute to screen legend Alain Delon