Born in
Paris, France, Druon was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrant Lazare Kessel (1899–1920) and was brought up at
La Croix-Saint-Leufroy in Normandy and educated at the lycée Michelet de Vanves. His father committed suicide in 1920 Druon began writing for literary journals at the age of 18. In September 1939, having been called up for military service, he wrote an article for
Paris-Soir entitled "J'ai vingt ans et je pars (I am twenty years old and I am leaving)". Following the fall of France in 1940, he was demobilized and remained in the unoccupied zone of France, and his first play,
Mégarée, was produced in Monte Carlo in February 1942. He left the same year to join the forces of
Charles de Gaulle. Druon became aide de camp to General
François d'Astier de La Vigerie. In 1948 Druon received the
Prix Goncourt for his novel '''', and later published two sequels. Druon was elected to the 30th seat of the Académie française on 8 December 1966, succeeding
Georges Duhamel. He was elected as "Perpetual Secretary" in 1985, but chose to resign the office in late 1999 due to old age; he successfully pushed for
Hélène Carrère d'Encausse to succeed him, the first woman to hold the post, and was styled Honorary Perpetual Secretary after 2000. On the death of
Henri Troyat on 2 March 2007, he became the Dean of the
Académie, its longest-serving member. While his scholarly writing earned him a seat at the Académie, Druon is best known for a series of seven historical novels published in the 1950s under the title
Les Rois maudits (
The Accursed Kings). The novels were
adapted for French television in 1972, gaining a wider audience through overseas sales, and again in 2005, starring
Jeanne Moreau. A third adaptation, this time for film, was announced to be in development in late 2024, with plans for
The Iron King (the first film
) to begin production in 2027
. Fantasy writer
George R. R. Martin stated that the novels had been an inspiration for his fantasy series
A Song of Ice and Fire, and called Druon "France's best historical novelist since
Alexandre Dumas, père". Druon's only work for children –
Tistou les pouces verts – was published in 1957 and translated into
English in 1958 (as
Tistou of the Green Thumbs) and 2012 (as
Tistou: The Boy With Green Thumbs). Druon was
Minister of Cultural Affairs (1973–1974) in
Pierre Messmer's cabinet, and a deputy for
Paris's 22nd constituency (1978–1981). He was survived by his second wife, Madeleine Marignac, whom he married in 1968. ==
Les Rois maudits (
The Accursed Kings)==