Brigitte Macron: Who is the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron?


Emmanuel Macronโ€™s wife Brigitte has joined her husband for the state visit to the UK as she met with the Royal Family months after a controversy around her appearing to slap the French leader.

Dressed in a white, button-up dress, Brigitte was met at RAF Northolt by the Prince and Princess of Wales before driving to Windsor to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla.

She captured headlines across the globe in May after she appeared to push the French President in the face as the couple arrived in Vietnam for the start of a Southeast Asia tour.

In a now-viral video, Brigitte appeared to shove her husband, before he descended from the presidential plane.

She remained hidden behind the plane’s fuselage, blocking any view of her body language. The couple then descended the steps together.

An Elysee official played down the moment, denying it showed an argument between the couple: “It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh.”

Brigitte Macron talks to Catherine, Princess of Wales at RAF Northolt

Brigitte Macron talks to Catherine, Princess of Wales at RAF Northolt (Reuters)

As she arrives in the UK, The Independent has taken a closer look at Brigitte Macronโ€™s life.

She met her now-husband when he was a student at Le Providence, a Catholic school in France, where she worked as a drama teacher. She was 39 at the time they first met and he was 15.

Brigitte was married to banker Andrรฉ-Louis Auziรจre, and the couple have three children, Sรฉbastien, Laurence and Tiphaine.

The now French President began an affair with Brigitte, who is 24 years his senior, when he was 16. His parents had believed their son was dating the teacherโ€™s daughter, Laurence, until the truth was revealed through a family friend.

Shocked, the Macrons removed their son from the school, but he and Brigitte kept in touch while he was in college.

The pair eventually married in 2007 when he was 29 and she was 54.

France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron disembark from the plane upon their arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi

France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron disembark from the plane upon their arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi (AFP via Getty Images)

Becoming a stepfather to her three adult children, he told them at the wedding reception: โ€œThanks for accepting us, a not-quite-normal couple.โ€

The French President previously called his wife his โ€œanchorโ€, saying she kept him focused in his job.

In an interview with CNN, Mr Macron said: โ€œFor me, itโ€™s very important for my personal balance to have somebody at home telling you the truth every day.

โ€œAccess to truth is one of the main challenges. Somebody with her deep convictions and knowing you for what you are and loving you for what you are, not for what you represent or your role or your honours. That is very important to me.โ€

In an interview with Elle magazine, Brigitte said she and her husband are โ€œjust like any other coupleโ€.

She said: โ€œWe agree, we disagree. We argue, we stop arguing. Itโ€™s very fluid.โ€

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