In brief
Celeste Caeiro, known as "the Lady of the Carnations," has died at the age of 91 in Lisbon. She became a symbol of the Carnation Revolution when she handed out flowers to soldiers, signifying the end of a dictatorship in 1974.
Celeste Caeiro, who played a pivotal role in Portugal’s history by giving red carnations to soldiers during the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974, passed away on Friday in Lisbon at the age of 91. Her granddaughter, Carolina Caeiro Fontela, confirmed that Ms. Caeiro died in a hospital where she was undergoing treatment for heart and lung issues.Caeiro, then a 40-year-old single mother and cloakroom attendant at the restaurant Sir in Lisbon, had arrived that day expecting a bustling celebration for the restaurant’s anniversary. Her boss, who had been listening to an uncensored private radio station, abruptly decided to close as unrest unfolded outside. He advised her to take the restaurant’s red and white carnations home to prevent waste.As she walked home, Caeiro encountered a convoy of military vehicles and soldiers organized by dissident junior officers who aimed to overthrow the dictatorial regime of Prime Minister Marcelo Caetano. The Carnation Revolution, which became synonymous with democracy and non-violence, was a response to the long-standing dictatorship that had dominated Portugal for 40 years, affecting families across the nation due to its colonial wars.Seeing the commotion, Caeiro spontaneously handed out the flowers, which soldiers then placed in the barrels of their rifles. This simple act of defiance turned her into a national symbol, earning her the title “the Lady of the Carnations.” She remained an iconic figure in Portugal’s history, celebrating the revolutionary spirit and the quest for freedom, most recently being honored in April during a 50th-anniversary commemoration of the event.
