Who is Brigitte Trogneux, the new First Lady of France. “I owe her a lot, she helped me become who am.”

Emmanuel Macron has won the French presidential elections on Sunday. He is the new President of France and his 64 year old wife, Brigitte Trogneux, is the new First lady of France.

A former teacher, she met Macron when he was 15 years old and her student. At the time, Brigitte was married with three children. When Macron was 17 years old, he asked her to marry him. So who is the wife of the new president of France and what is the story that binds them?

Brigitte Trogneux comes from a very wealthy family that has made its fortune from chocolate – Jean Trogneaux – a company that has been founded five generations ago and has sales of 4 million euros/year. The company is said to produce some of the best macarons in France.

She is the youngest of Jean and Simone Trogneaux’s six children. In 1974, Brigitte married the banker Andre Louis Auziere, with whom she had three children.

His french literature teacher

Emmanuel Macron, the leader of the “En Marche!” movement, met his future wife 24 years ago at just 15 years of age. He was class mates with Laurence, Brigitte’s daughter, who was the same age as Macron, at a private school in Amiens, in northern France, where Brigitte was a French literature teacher.

Brigitte also attended the theater club in which young Emmanuel was enrolled, according to the French press, that also reported the two used to spent a lot of time talking together.

She also used to recite all the time from his works, being totally captivated by his writing skills, said a former classmate of Macron for Le Parisien.

At one point, according to Reuters, Macron’s parents found out that their son was involved in a romantic relationship with his teacher, being totally stunned when they realized. They had thought he was in love with Laurence, Brigitte’s daughter.

According to the testimonies of Macron’s parents tied up by writer Anne Fulda in the book “Emmanuel Macron: A Perfect Couple,” they were simply shocked by the explosive and unconventional love story between the two, while Brigitte was still married to the father of her three children.

Parents sent him away from her, but without success

They sent Emmanuel away from school, to Paris to continue his education away from Brigitte, who at that time was 40 years old.

His mother said she had tried to talk with Brigitte: “Don’t you realize? You lived your life. But he will not have children with you.”

But when she was told to stay away from the teenager, the woman who become France’s First Lady told his parents: “I can’t promise you anything.”

And she was right not to promise. Almost immediately after the young student was sent to Paris, Brigitte left her family and followed him.

Last year, Brigitte confirmed for Paris Match that Macron asked her to marry him when he was only 17 years old: “At the age of 17, Emmanuel said to me: ‘Whatever you do, I’ll marry you!'”

“No one will know when our story has become a love story. This belongs to us. It’s our secret, “Brigitte told the writer Anne Fulda.

They married in 2007 and decided not to have children

Macron married Brigitte Trogneux in 2007, after her first marriage ended with a divorce. The ceremony took place in Touquet, in northern France, where the couple also has a home.

At the moment, the former Economy Minister is a stepfather for his wife’s three adult children, including Sebastien, who is two years older than Macron.

Brigitte’s daughter, 30, is a lawyer, now working for his stepfather’s campaign. She described Macron as “a smart man with an exceptional personality.”

Macron doesn’t have a biological son with his wife, but on the other hand, he’s a great-grandfather to the seven grandchildren of Brigitte.

In fact, Emmanuel Macron said he and his wife decided not to have any children. “The choice was not selfish. I made the decision when I was very young and I assume it. I don’t need biological children and grandchildren.”

Career break with a great purpose

Brigitte Trogneux no longer teaches. She has taken a career break to help her husband in his presidential campaign.

Besides, Macron counts on her as a trusted counselor.

“She spends all time with him, she reads and listen all the things they say about him,” according to Paris Match.

What could she bring to France as First Lady?

Brigitte will continue to play a major role in her husband’s professional life, now that he is president.

Alexis Kohler, the head of Macron’s staff while he was minister, told Bloomberg that Trogneux attended all of the agenda meetings.

“If I am elected – no, I apologize, if we are elected – she will be there with a role and a place. I owe her a lot, she helped me become who I am,” Macron had said.

Being a teacher, Brigitte Trogneux has a very good command of leadership skills, which will help her in her role as First Lady.

“As a teacher, I came to know the young people very well. And I think it’s essential to always think about them. I will fight for their education. If we abandon them, everything will implode,” Trougneux said in a recent interview.