MONTREAL - Audrey Best, the shy political spouse who shunned the political spotlight while married to one-time Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard, has died.
Bouchard's law office confirmed the news today.
The French-born, California-raised Best died in a Montreal hospital after a three-year battle with breast cancer. She was 50 years old.
She was at Bouchard's side during a determining era in Canadian history, during his fiery campaign speeches in pursuit of Quebec independence.
But she maintained a discreet public profile, demanding as much privacy as political life might offer her and the couple's two children.
Best, who met Bouchard on a flight from Paris, went on to a law career after studying at McGill University.
She and Bouchard split up several years ago.
News of Best's passing came on the same day that Bouchard issued a statement announcing his return to a job in the public spotlight.
The ex-premier will become chief lobbyist for budding Quebec's shale-gas industry, currently involved in a bruising public-relations battle against environmentalists keen to halt its development.
