France’s Macrons meet Rihanna at Elysée Palace

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron met singer Rihanna at the Elysée Palace Wednesday after the pop star appealed to him on Twitter for France to contribute to her education fund for developing countries.

Rihanna first was welcomed by first lady Brigitte Macron on the steps of the presidential palace in Paris before she went inside to speak with the couple for more than an hour.

“I’ve just had the most incredible meeting with the president and the first lady”, Rihanna told reporters in the Elysée’s courtyard. “They were incredibly welcoming to us.”

The singer, who was named the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year, said the talks “focused on the topic of education from a global aspect.” She didn’t reveal whether Macron had made a pledge to her fund, but said she was “so inspired and impressed” with his leadership.

The Macrons met Barbados-born Rihanna in her role as head and founder of the Clara Lionel charity foundation, a non-profit organization that funds education and health programs for impoverished communities across the globe.

“We’re going to make a very big announcement this coming September,” Rihanna, 29, said without elaborating.

Macron didn’t join his wife with Rihanna in front of photographers. Neither the president nor his office commented on the meeting.