Fashion designer Coco Chanel's last words were "You see, this is how you die." Chanel was 87 years old, tired, and ailing. She carried out her usual routine of preparing the spring catalog. She had gone for a long drive the afternoon of Saturday, January 9. Soon after, feeling ill, she went to bed early. She died on Sunday, January 10, 1971 at the Hotel Ritz, where she had resided for more than 30 years.
Her funeral was held at the ?glise de la Madeleine; her fashion models occupied the first seats during the ceremony and her coffin was covered with white flowers - camellias, gardenias, orchids, azaleas and a few red roses. Her grave is located in the Bois-de-Vaux Cemetery, Lausanne, Switzerland - one of the most prestigious burials in the world.