Funeral of Nathalie Baye: who was the priest of the ceremony, a close friend of Laura Smet?

The French cinema is in mourning. On Friday, April 17, Nathalie Baye, 77, passed away at her Parisian home after a battle with Lewy body disease, a neurodegenerative condition. Concerns about her health had been mounting among her loved ones for several months, especially after she was notably absent from the 2025 Days of the Rose event in Doué-la-Fontaine. Prior to this, she had been hospitalized in 2020 for bronchopulmonary complications, which had already alerted her close circle.

On Friday, April 24, her family gathered at the Saint-Sulpice church in the 6th arrondissement of Paris to pay their final respects. To honor her mother’s memory, Laura Smet arranged the funeral to be in line with the deceased actress’s image.

Who is Christian Lancrey-Javal, the priest chosen by Laura Smet?

According to details shared by Le Parisien, the choice of the priest was significant. It was indeed Christian Lancrey-Javal, Laura Smet’s brother-in-law. He had already married Laura Smet to Raphaël Lancrey-Javal in 2018 in a discreet ceremony at the town hall of the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Christian Lancrey-Javal also baptized their son Léo, who is now five years old. As reported by Le Parisien, the priest delivered a glowing speech about the French cinema icon: “Not complaining was her motto in life and in her illness,” describing her as “the French woman, the French soul.”

Nathalie Baye was buried in a white coffin, similar to the one chosen by Johnny Hallyday

At the end of the ceremony, Laura Smet also shared a poignant final message to her mother: “She did not know boredom, not even solitude, she made it an ally. She gave me so much love, so much strength. She lifted me up when I was down, me and many others. She was an incredible friend, an eternal lover, and a fabulous mother.” Other thoughtful details were also present during the ceremony.

As revealed by Paris Match, a password, “grenouille” (meaning frog), was required at the church entrance to access the religious ceremony, a humorous nod to the actress who was a fervent animal rights activist. Another moving symbol was that Nathalie Baye was buried in a white coffin, identical to the one chosen by Johnny Hallyday for his own funeral, which took place on December 9, 2017, at the Madeleine church. A “simple, classy ceremony, reflecting her image,” summarized her friend Jacques Weber near the Saint-Sulpice fountain.