Emmanuel Macron is hoping to become the next President of France. He is the leader of the En Marche! party, which he created after resigning from the government as Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs. He’s married to Brigitte Marie-Claude Trogneux, who is 24 years older than him and was his French literature teacher.
The 39-year-old Macron and the 63-year-old Trogneux do not have any children together, but she has three children – son Sebastien and daughters Laurence and Tiphane – from a previous marriage. She also has seven grandchildren, so Macron is a 39-year-old step-grandfather.
Here’s what you need to know about the potential next first lady of France.
- Macron met brigitte when he was 15 and his parents disapproved of their relationship
Macron and Trogneux met when Macron was just 15 years old and she was his French teacher at a Jesuit middle school in Amiens.
She was still married to her first husband, with whom she had three children.
According to the book Emmanuel Macron: A Perfect Young Manby Anne Fulda, Macron’s parents told Trogneux to stay away from their son, at least until he was 18.
Macron’s parents tried to split them up by sending Macron to Paris to finish his studies, but that didn’t work.
Their relationship continued and they married in 2007, after Trogneux and her husband divorced.
Macron’s parents told the media that they believed their son was actually going after the heart of Trogneux’s daughter. They were stunned to hear that this wasn’t the case.
“We couldn’t believe it. What is clear is that when Emmanuel met Brigitte we couldn’t just say: ‘That’s great,’” Macron’s mother said. She is quoted as telling Trogneux, “Don’t you see. You’ve had your life. But he won’t have children with you.”
Although journalists did not interviewed Macron and Trogneux, Macron’s spokesman said he was disappointed that she didn’t ask about his parents’ approval of the relationship.
“Emmanuel’s parents were keen on emphasizing that they did not lodge a complaint against Brigitte Auziere (Trogneux’s married name) for corruption of a minor,” Macron’s spokesman said.
“Nobody will ever know at what moment our story became a love story. That belongs to us. That is our secret,” Trogneux quoted.
2. she has three children including a daughter who works on macron`s campaign
Trogneux has three children. Her youngest child is 30-year-old Tiphaine Auziere, who works on Macron’s campaign and is a lawyer.
Tiphaine had been staying out of the public eye for much of Macron’s public career. However, she finally began appearing at events in November 2016 when she organized a meeting for En Marche!.
Since then, she’s been a major part of the campaign. At her first event, she called her stepfather an “exceptional personality” and an “intelligent man.”
Tiphaine also has two children herself.
Trogneux’s eldest child, son Sebastien, was born in 1975, making him two years older than her current husband. Her middle child, daughter Laurence, is the same age as Macron and was in the class her mother taught when they met.
3. The couple decide not to have children together
During a BMFTV interview, Macron made it clear that he and his wife have decided not to have any children. He’s already the step-grandfather of seven children.
“We have chosen not to have children. A choice that was not selfish for me,” he told BMFTV. “It is a choice that has been assumed, which I had to make very young given the age difference. I did not need my biological children and grandchildren to give them as much love as I gave them.”
Macron’s unconventional marriage has led some to speculate that he’s secretly gay. Back in February, he laughed off rumors that he was having an affair with Radio France CEO Mathieu Gallet.
“If you’re told I lead a double life with Mr. Gallet it’s because my hologram has escaped,” Macron said at a rally,
If Macron wins, don’t expect Trogneux to suddenly stop playing a major role in his life at work. Alexis Kohler, his chief of staff when he was the economy minister, told Bloomberg that Trogneux attended agenda meetings. “She is a woman who’s involved in the life of her husband,” Kohler said.
