My wrinkles are daily reminder of our age gap says Mrs Macron
THE wife of Emmanuel Macron yesterday spoke for the first time about being married to a man 25 years her junior, saying: ‘The only problem is that he’s younger than me’.
In a brutally honest interview, 64-yearold Brigitte Macron admitted she was reminded of the age gap every morning when she looked at the boyish French president, who is 39.
‘Of course, we have breakfast, me with my wrinkles, him with freshness, but that’s how it is,’ she said.
She also addressed the public backlash that had seen the Macrons forced to abandon their plans to give her the official title of First Lady – claiming she was not too bothered.
‘I don’t feel like a First Lady,’ said Mrs Macron. ‘That’s the translation of an American expression, and I don’t like anything about it.’
Mr Macron had wanted his wife to be given more formal recognition as she carried out her day-to-day work. Previously presidents’ spouses have not been given an official title.
But more than 300,000 people signed an online petition ‘against the status of First Lady for Brigitte Macron’.
However, Mrs Macron said she had no regrets about moving into the Elysee Palace. She said she would now post a job description online, highlighting her charity work and other engagements, which she will do for free. ‘I will take on my public role, but the French people will know the resources at my disposal,’ she told Elle magazine.
Mrs Macron, a retired teacher, first met Mr Macron when he was in her drama class. The couple ended up pursuing a passionate affair, before the mother of three – who is known for her youthful figure – left her first husband.
Describing their ‘story’ as being ‘so simple’, she said: ‘If I hadn’t chosen this, I would have missed out on my life.
‘The only problem with Emmanuel is that he’s younger than me.’