French President Emmanuel Macron, who was the Chief Guest for India's 75th Republic Day celebrations this year, is much in the news. The French President was in India on a two-day State Visit from January 25 to January 26, 2024. But apart from his public image as a French leader who won the elections twice, his personal life also draws a lot of attention from people. The reason: The French President and First Lady, Mr. and Mrs. Macron, have an age gap of 24 years which has drawn a lot of attention to their relationship. Let's have a look at their unusual love story which transcends the age gap and makes one believe in true love.
First Lady Brigitte Macron, who is a former teacher, spoke about her unconventional love story with Emmanuel Macron in a rare interview with Paris Match recently, reported The Independent. In the interview Ms. Brigitte shared that the first time when she met Mr. Macron, he was her 15-year-old highschool student while she was a 39-year-old drama teacher at a catholic school in France. At that time, Brigitte was married for roughly 20 years to Andre-Louis Auziere, who was a banker, and they had three children together. Not just this, when Brigitte first met Emmanuel, he was a classmate of one of her children.
"Emmanuel was an exceptionally gifted 16-year-old schoolboy when he fell head over heels in love with his glamorous teacher," author Sylvie Bommel wrote in her book on the power couple titled 'Il Venait D’Avoir Dix-Sept Ans' (‘He Had Just Turned 17’).
However, love sees no age or creed and Brigitte soon fell for Emmanuel, who is 24 years younger than her! Talking about falling in love with Emmanuel back then, Brigitte told Paris Match, "For me, such a young boy was crippling."
As per reports, Emmanuel Macron's parents initially thought that he was dating Ms. Brigitte's daughter, who was of the same age. But when they came to know that he was dating his drama teacher, they sent him to a boarding school in Paris. During this time, Brigitte too kept her distance from Emmanuel thinking he would fall in love with someone of his age-- but destiny had something else in store for them. The couple stayed in touch and their affair continued for the next 10 years. "Emmanuel had to leave for Paris. I told myself that he would fall in love with someone his [own] age. It didn't happen," Brigitte Macron told Paris Match, as per The Independent.
She further revealed to the Paris Match that during these 10 years, she also settled her children so that her affair didn't affect their lives. "I took time so I would not wreck their lives. That lasted 10 years, the time to put them on the rails. You can imagine what they were hearing. But I didn't want to miss out on my life," she shared.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend a national tribute ceremony for late French minister and European Union Commission president Jacques Delors at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, on January 5, 2024. Delors, a key figure in the creation of the euro, died on December 27, 2023 aged 98.
Ms Brigitte divorced her first husband André-Louis Auzière in 2006. A year later, Brigitte (then 54) married Emmanuel Macron (then 29) at a seaside resort named Le Touquet, where she had earlier married her former husband. At the time of his wedding, Emmanuel Macron was a financial whiz-kid and his unusual love was accepted by both their families, who attended their wedding.
Ten years later, Emmanuel Macron won his first French presidential election in 2017. This made him the youngest-ever president of France at the age of 39 - which was also the age of his now-wife Brigitte Macron when she first met him! On winning his first presidential election, he thanked everyone in his speech, including his wife who is “always there, and what’s more, without whom I wouldn’t be me,” Mr. Macron said, as per The Independent. In 2022, Mr. Macron went on to win his second presidential election.
Talking about what she admires the most about her husband Mr. Macron, Mrs. Brigitte Macron told Paris Match, "I have never seen such a memory... such an intellectual capacity. I had many brilliant pupils, and none had his capability. I have always admired him."
Brigitte's three children are close to Emmanuel's age, to whom he is a step-father, according to Gulf News. While Brigitte's daughter Laurence studied in the same class as Emmanuel, Tiphaine is six years younger than him, and her son Sebastien is slightly older than him. However, over the years, Emmanuel Macron has managed to have a close relationship with them.
"Love is the greatest force in the world. It bridges gaps, heals wounds, and transforms lives," American author Maya Angelou wrote in her book 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings', and aptly so. Mr. and Mrs. Macron's love story is one such example of true love triumphing over all obstacles.
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