Nguyễn Lê Trần (née Phạm), also known as Madame Khánh, is the widow of
Nguyễn Khánh
Nguyễn Khánh (}; 8 November 192711 January 2013) was a South Vietnamese military dictator and Army of the Republic of Vietnam general who served in various capacities as head of state and prime minister of South Vietnam while at the head o ...
, a former
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
ese army general and politician who served as
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
and
Chief of State
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state. Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of state depends ...
of South Vietnam from 1964 to 1965. As the spouse of the Chief of State of South Vietnam, she visited hospitals to give moral support to wounded soldiers and also accompanied her husband on numerous engagements at state affairs.
Departure from South Vietnam
On 25 February 1965, she accompanied her husband on his new assignment as
Ambassador-at-Large
An ambassador-at-large is a diplomat, a secretary of state, secretary, or a minister (government), minister of the highest rank who is accredited to represent a country and its people internationally.
Unlike an ambassador-in-residence, who is us ...
and were sent on a world tour, starting with her husband's report at the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. In 1968, when her mother was ill, she requested to return to South Vietnam but was reportedly denied entry by the South Vietnamese government.
Exile
Since leaving South Vietnam in February 1965, she has lived in the United States and when her husband completed his report to the United Nations they moved to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. In 1977, she moved to the United States with her husband and four of their children.
In 1991, she accompanied her husband on an official visit to the
Special Economic Zone
A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
s of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
.
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Family
She had seven children (six with her late husband); one of whom died in a swimming pool accident in South Vietnam, in 1963.
References
External links
Our Vietnam: The War 1954-1975
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madame, Khanh
People from Hanoi
Vietnamese people of the Vietnam War
Vietnamese anti-communists
Living people
Vietnamese emigrants to the United States
People from Sacramento, California
Year of birth missing (living people)
Women in the Vietnam War