Brigitte: I won’t lag behind my husband
BRIGITTE Macron is standing up for herself by demanding to sit beside, not behind, her husband at state functions.
The first lady of France, who is understood to be preparing to take on a greater role in 2018, is apparently not happy with the current protocol.
She is said to have told those close to her: ‘A woman today should not be behind.’
A source close to Emmanuel Macron’s wife told radio station RTL that she had said: ‘A woman can exist without her husband.’ The source added: ‘In ceremonies abroad, for example, she no longer wants to be sat behind the head of state.’
Traditionally, a consort would be seen behind the leader – but it seems the French president’s wife is keen to enact a sea change. Her new regime will be put to the test during a threeday visit to China next week.
However, this won’t be the first time Mrs Macron, 64, has broken protocol. In September at the UN, she refused to sit in the second row assigned to spouses – instead positioning herself with the French delegation.
It is also understood Mrs Macron, who is 24 years older than her husband, is keen to ramp up her role this year. It is believed she wants to focus on education and the disabled, and that she has been given ‘carte blanche’ as long as she does not ‘tread on her husband’s toes’.
An insider said the former teacher, who met Mr Macron, 40, when she worked at a school where he was a pupil, had seen 2017 as an ‘exploration phase’ but that 2018 will be the year she really ‘finds her place’.