The Controversial Way Emmanuel Macron Met His Wife Brigitte

Few things in a relationship are more awkward an uncomfortable than your parents not approving of your partner, or flat-out objecting to your romance as a whole. In the case of French President Emmanuel Macron, however, his parents had some perfectly understandable reasons for why they didn't approve of his romance with now-wife Brigitte Macron at first.

It's no secret that there are some strange aspects of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron's marriage, chief among them being the fact that they're one of several high-profile political couples with a massive age gap between them. More specifically, the President of France is nearly 25 years younger than his wife. At first glance, this doesn't seem too eyebrow-raising, seeing as how Emmanuel is in his late 40s at the time of writing, and some age gap relationship can be successful. However, what made their initial connection so controversial was the fact that it started when Emmanuel was 15 and Brigitte was 39.

The age of consent in France has been 15 since 2021 — and before then, the country lacked a hard law on the matter. However, things were even more scandalous because not only was Brigitte a teacher at the Catholic school Emmanuel attended in Amiens, but she was actually married at the time her relationship when the future president began. So yeah, it's no wonder Emmanuel's parents pulled him out of that school and sent him to a boarding school in Paris once they found out what was happening.

The Independent reported that it all started when Brigitte, a drama instructor, wrote a play with Emmanuel. She told a friend years later, "You know, the day when we wrote the play together, I had a feeling I was working with Mozart. The writing became an excuse. I felt that we had always known each other."

During an interview with Paris Match, Brigette also admitted that Emmanuel's parents initially believed he was dating her daughter. But according to the Daily Mail, the reality of the situation made itself apparent in 1994, when Brigitte's then-husband caught her sunbathing with Emmanuel beside their pool. Brigitte told Paris Match that after Emmanuel's parents put physical distance between them, she also tried to keep her emotional distance for the sake of her family. That being said, the two still remained in contact for the next decade. "Emmanuel had to leave for Paris," Brigitte said, adding, "I told myself that he would fall in love with someone his age. It didn't happen." Brigitte eventually divorced her first husband in 2006, and tied the knot with Emmanuel the following year. When the two finally exchanged vows, Emmanuel was 29 and Brigitte was 54.