A GRAN-of-two who worked with General Charles de Gaulle, rubbed shoulders with Rita Hayworth and was secretary to a Prince is celebrating her 103rd birthday.
The life of Irene Husain is an extraordinary one.
She's witnessed pandemics, two World Wars and more and is here very much thriving aged 103, having celebrated the big birthday yesterday, Thursday, December 15.
Irene, born Mary Irene Blache, moved to London from France in 1919.
Her French heritage remained important to her and in 1941, aged 21, Irene joined Free French, the government-in-exile led by Charles de Gaulle during the Second World War.
The movement’s military continued to fight against the Axis powers after the fall of France.
Her service saw her stationed far from home in Algiers, where she was greeted by tracer bullets on arrival, and under the direct command of General de Gaulle as the secretary of his Lt Colonel Bonnafe.
From there she rose through the ranks to become sergeant in the air section of the National Defence Command, then secretary to commander of the military cabinet before reaching the rank of lieutenant.
She was awarded the Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France and even declined the Croix de Guerre – awarded to those soldiers who distinguish themselves by acts of heroism – saying she had not earned it.
But the drama of Irene’s life did not stop there. She was demobbed in 1946 and due to her good reputation became the secretary for Prince Aly Aga Khan – the son of Sultan Mahommed Shah, Imam of the Nizari Ismaili religion.
Irene with her brother John, who is still alive aged 98 and lives in California.
That position led to her meeting her husband of 25 years Abdulali ‘Tutti’ Husain, with Prince Aly and his wife – the famed actress Rita Hayworth – even hosting their wedding reception and acting as witnesses.
She returned to London in the 1950s and had two children daughter Zarina, who died in a tragic house fire in 2017, and son Jamil.
After a fall, she moved to St Helens in 2018 where her Jamil, a semi-retired dentist based in St Helens lives and she has been a resident in St Helens Hall and Lodge since then.
Her extremely proud son Jamil said: “I’m exceptionally proud of my mum, it is only recently that she’s started divulging more on her life, and when I ask why I didn’t know so much about her earlier in my life she replies, ‘well you never asked’.
“I’m very happy to be celebrating this day with my mum because Covid stopped us celebrating her 101st birthday together, we got to see each other for the 102nd though and this year will be easier again, though I will still have to wear a mask.
“She actually got Covid during the height of it and fortunately had been vaccinated so recovered fairly quickly from that and wasn’t too poorly, but she’s always looked after her health and she says that’s the key to her long life really.
“The biggest change she’s seen in her life is hard to say really she’s lived through four pandemics, she was born just after the Spanish flu pandemic, she was born when George V was king, then Edward VIII then he abdicated and it was George VI then Queen Elizabeth as we all have and soon it will be Charles III.
Irene, fifth from left, with General Charles de Gaulle
"I’ve got her an Amazon Fire Stick for her birthday as she loves TV especially her antique shows, but gets tired early now and often misses them, so now she can watch on catch up, and flowers, she loves flowers so I’ve got her a good bunch of those too and a small bottle of champagne – she’s 103 after all.
“My son and daughter will be visiting her in the coming days also, family is very important to us, especially after being kept apart during Covid, it’s nice to celebrate when we can.”
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