France President Emmanuel Macron: Wife, Age Gap & Facts

When a 15-year-old student falls in love with his drama teacher, it sounds like a plot twist. In France, that story became Emmanuel Macron’s real life — and later, his path to the Élysée Palace. Since 14 May 2017, Macron has served as the youngest president in modern French history, married to Brigitte Macron, his former teacher, with an age gap that continues to fascinate. The facts behind this relationship — the age difference, her children, and his political career — are often tangled in speculation, so here’s what the records actually show.

Current President: Emmanuel Macron ·
In Office Since: 14 May 2017 ·
Spouse: Brigitte Macron ·
Age Difference: 24 years (Macron younger) ·
Brigitte Macron’s Children: 3 (from previous marriage)

Six key facts form the backbone of the Macron story — from his date of birth to his political affiliation. One pattern: each detail is publicly recorded but often scattered across separate sources.

Who is the new president in France?

Emmanuel Macron is the current president of France, having taken office on 14 May 2017 after winning the presidential election against Marine Le Pen. He succeeded François Hollande and was re-elected in April 2022, defeating Le Pen again in a runoff that drew global attention (BBC News).

Emmanuel Macron’s early life and career

• Born on 21 December 1977 in Amiens, France, to a physician father and a teacher mother (Britannica)
• Studied philosophy at the University of Paris-Ouest and later graduated from the École nationale d’administration (ENA) (Wikipedia)
• Worked as an investment banker at Rothschild & Co before entering politics (BBC News)

Presidential election 2017 and 2022

Macron ran as a centrist candidate under the newly formed En Marche! movement. In 2017, he won 66.1% of the vote in the second round (Reuters). In 2022, his margin narrowed to 58.5%, reflecting a polarized electorate (CNN).

List of recent presidents of France

• François Hollande (2012–2017)
• Nicolas Sarkozy (2007–2012)
• Jacques Chirac (1995–2007)

Who is Emmanuel Macron’s wife?

Emmanuel Macron is married to Brigitte Macron, a former drama teacher who taught at the lycée in Amiens where Macron was a student (ABC News). Their relationship began when Macron was 15 and she was his teacher — a fact that has drawn intense media scrutiny.

Brigitte Macron’s background

Born Brigitte Trogneux on 13 April 1953 in Amiens, she married André-Louis Auzière on 22 June 1974 and had three children (Wikipedia). She taught French literature and drama before meeting Macron.

How they met

According to reports, Macron joined her drama club when he was 15. His parents, concerned about the relationship, sent him to a boarding school in Paris (People). The couple stayed in touch and married in 2007.

Is Brigitte Macron his former teacher?

Yes. Multiple outlets including TIME and ABC News confirm she was his drama teacher at the Lycée La Providence in Amiens when he was a student.

What’s the age gap between Macron and his wife?

The age difference is 24 years, with Macron younger — a reversal of the typical older-husband pattern. Brigitte Macron was born in 1953; Emmanuel Macron in 1977 (Wikipedia). Some outlets, like ABC News, have reported it as 25 years, depending on the specific dates used for comparison (ABC News).

A 2024 analysis of the relationship by People highlighted that when Macron’s parents first learned of the relationship, they thought it might involve his classmate — Brigitte’s daughter — because of the age proximity (People).

Age difference explained

The exact gap: 24 years and 8 months. Brigitte was 54 when Macron became president at 39; she is now 71, he is 47. The couple has addressed the gap openly. Brigitte told TIME: “We have breakfast together, me and my wrinkles, him with his youth” (TIME).

Why did Macron marry someone older?

Macron has called the age gap a non-issue. In a 2017 interview, he said: “If I were 20 years older than my wife, nobody would question their legitimacy as a couple” (TIME). Brigitte has said she understands the scrutiny but insists their love was genuine and that she struggled with the potential impact on her children (People).

How many children does Brigitte Macron have?

Brigitte Macron has three biological children from her first marriage to André-Louis Auzière: Sébastien (born 1975), Laurence (born 1977), and Tiphaine (born 1984) (Wikipedia). All three were born before she met Emmanuel Macron.

Brigitte Macron’s children from first marriage

• Sébastien Auzière – a lawyer and entrepreneur
• Laurence Auzière – a cardiologist (Le Monde)
• Tiphaine Auzière – a lawyer and media figure

Grandchildren

Brigitte Macron has seven grandchildren. None of them are biologically related to Emmanuel Macron, who has no children of his own (Wikipedia).

What was Sarkozy convicted of?

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy was convicted of corruption and influence peddling in March 2021 and sentenced to three years in prison (The Guardian). The conviction stemmed from attempts to bribe a judge in exchange for information about a legal case.

Corruption conviction

Sarkozy was found guilty of having offered a prestigious job in Monaco to judge Gilbert Azibert in return for insider information about an investigation into his campaign finances. The court ruled this constituted corruption and influence peddling (Reuters).

Illegal campaign financing

In February 2025, Sarkozy was convicted on charges of illegal campaign financing related to his failed 2012 re-election bid, which involved exceeding legal spending limits. He was sentenced to one year in prison (to be served at home with an electronic bracelet) (BBC News).

The implication: Sarkozy becomes the second French president in history to be convicted of corruption, alongside Jacques Chirac (who received a suspended sentence in 2011).

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Voices on the Macron relationship

“We have breakfast together, me and my wrinkles, him with his youth.”

— Brigitte Macron, speaking to TIME

“If I were 20 years older than my wife, nobody would question their legitimacy as a couple.”

— Emmanuel Macron, in a 2017 interview with TIME

“I didn’t want to wreck the lives of my own children because they were close to Emmanuel’s age.”

— Brigitte Macron, quoted in People

What it means for France

Emmanuel Macron’s personal story — the young president with an older wife, a former teacher — has become inseparable from his political brand. It has made him both relatable and controversial, humanizing a technocrat while fueling debates about privacy and power. The pattern: Macron’s marriage forces voters to separate policy from personal life when judging his presidency.

For those interested in more political context, Macrons key facts and biography also covers his rise to power and major policies.

Frequently asked questions