Brigitte Macron raged at criticism of her 'untypical' marriage: 'Wounded'

French President Emmanuel Macron's lead over Marine Le Pen has shrunk as the French election nears. This week, they attacked each other as the first round of the vote approaches, with Mr Macron accusing Ms Le Pen of "lying" to voters about her "racist" manifesto programme. He said in an interview with Le Parisien that Ms Le Pen's social policies were aimed at "splitting society in the most brutal way". Ms Le Pen said the "violence" of Macron's comments showed he was panicking.

The French President has divided opinion in France since rising to power in 2017.

This has also resulted in his wife, Brigitte, being on the receiving end of negative comments.

She opened up on this while speaking in a rare interview in November.

Brigitte said she was dismayed at the hostility she encountered for being 24 years older than her husband.

She added that she realised her marriage was "untypical" but could not understand the level of "aggressiveness" generated.

She said she had also been wounded by portrayals of her as a latter-day Marie Antoinette, living a life of luxury and out of touch with ordinary families.

getty Brigitte Macron news:

getty Brigitte Macron news:

Brigitte told Le Monde: "The French would undoubtedly have preferred a younger first lady.

"I know we are not a typical couple. We have a difference of 24 years. I understand that that can surprise people, that people might not understand us. But what I cannot understand is the aggressiveness."

During the yellow-vest protests against Macron, detractors said that he had courted the rich, lampooning his wife as a Marie Antoinette figure.

She said that she had been "wounded" and "pained".

Brigitte added: "What, in my attitude, has generated that idea?

"Because the French people who do not know me see me on the steps of the Élysée in a pretty dress and pretty shoes they think: 'She is out of touch.' "

Le Monde also discussed Brigitte's passionate pleas earlier last year when she called for schools to stay open amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, she said this led to abuse.

The French First Lady continued: "Abuse had exploded during the lockdown. We had to make sure that children were no longer behind closed doors with their families.

"When I have a bolted-on certainty like that, I speak to [Macron] about it. I have never badgered him saying: 'Do this, do that.' But he always asks me what I think, like he does with Alexis Kohler.

"Afterwards, he does what he wants."

Brigitte, who turns 69 next week, is more than 24 years older than her husband, having met him at the school she worked at.

A 2017 book by journalist Anne Fulda, featured in The Independent at the time, shed new light on their relationship.

The book claims they first met when he was just 16 in La Providence High School in Amiens in 1993, while collaborating on a school play.

The report said: "Before turning 17 Mr Macron was dating his still-married teacher, against the express wishes of his parents."

Mr Macron's parents had believed their son was dating Brigitte's daughter, Laurence, before the truth came out.

Mr Macron's mother, Francoise Nogues-Macron, told Ms Fulda: "We just couldn't believe it.

"What is clear is that when Emmanuel met Brigitte, we couldn't just say, 'That's great'."

His father, Jean-Michel Macron, added he "almost fell off his chair" when he first found out.

He said: "When Emmanuel met Brigitte, we certainly did not say, 'How wonderful!"

Nonetheless, Francoise added: "What mattered to me was not the fact he was having a relationship with Brigitte but that he was alive and there weren't any problems."