Brigitte Macron (70), wife of French President Emmanuel Macron (45), has confessed that she delayed her marriage to President Macron by 10 years due to concerns about the potential impact on her three children, including her eldest daughter who was a friend of Macron. It is unusual for Mrs. Macron to publicly discuss her home life and her marriage to the President.
According to *The Times* in the UK on the 17th (local time), Mrs. Macron recently discussed her marriage process with President Macron in an interview with *Paris Match*. President Macron fell in love with Mrs. Macron, a 40-year-old married drama teacher, when he was a 15-year-old student at a private school in Amiens, France. Mrs. Macron’s daughter, Laurence, was also a classmate of President Macron.
When the romance between the married teacher and her student, with a 25-year age difference, caused a stir, President Macron’s parents sent him to study in Paris. Reflecting on the situation at the time, Mrs. Macron said, “I was in a mess. I couldn’t control such a young boy. Emmanuel had to go to Paris.” She added, “I told myself that Emmanuel would fall in love with someone his own age.” However, even in Paris, President Macron continued to pursue Mrs. Macron.
Mrs. Macron said that the only obstacle to their marriage was her children. “I took time not to ruin the lives of my children. That time lasted for 10 years, but it was the time to put the children on the right track,” she said. “I can imagine what the children might have heard, but I didn’t want to miss my life.”
Mrs. Macron has three children with her ex-husband, banker André-Louis Auzière. Her eldest son is 48, three years older than President Macron, and her two daughters are 46 and 39, respectively.
Eventually, Mrs. Macron divorced Auzière in 2006 and married President Macron, who was a young civil servant at the time, the following year. Auzière, who had been living separately for a long time, passed away in December 2019.
“Macron is still attractive… There’s no one with such intellectual capability”
Mrs. Macron is still dazzled by President Macron’s charm, saying, “There’s not a single day when he doesn’t surprise me.” She also praised, “I’ve never seen such a memory, such intellectual ability. I’ve had many outstanding students, but no one had such ability.” Mrs. Macron also revealed that she has always admired President Macron.
Mrs. Macron also shared her experiences of welcoming state guests from various countries as the First Lady.
She recalled the state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the UK to France last September, admitting that she was “very worried” at first. However, after greeting Queen Camilla with a cheek kiss upon arrival at the Arc de Triomphe, her tension eased. Mrs. Macron praised King Charles III as “very dignified, cultured, and cheerful,” and remembered both the king and queen as considerate.
Mrs. Macron also spoke fondly of Melania Trump, the wife of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Mrs. Trump visited the Élysée Palace with President Trump in 2017. Mrs. Macron added, “But Mrs. Trump was firmly holding her husband. When she tapped her watch during dinner, President Trump understood it was time to leave. Mrs. Trump is a strong character.”
By Hyun-jung Kim, khj27@asiae.co.kr
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