French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is definitely pregnant, her father-in-law revealed today.
Pal Sarkozy, father of French president Nicolas Sarkozy told a German newspaper the former model and his son are expecting their first child together.
"Neither wants to know the gender beforehand, but I'm certain it will be a girl, and beautiful like Carla," he told Bild.
Mr Sarkozy’s office would not comment, saying it was a private matter. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has been coy about it in recent public appearances.
A pregnancy could be a potential strategic coup for Mr Sarkozy, less than a year ahead of presidential elections.
The incumbent’s popularity is in the doldrums, but a baby in the Élysée presidential palace could help voters relate to a man they have seen as increasingly out of touch with their worries.
Reports of her pregnancy first surfaced in late April, when gossip magazine Closer ran a story saying the 43-year-old first lady was three months pregnant.
The magazine said that officials were keeping it under wraps because her age makes it a high-risk pregnancy.
The French first couple disappointed fans and organisers of the Cannes Film Festival by not appearing at the opening night last week. Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, which features the French first lady in a small but much-hyped role, opened the festival.
Ms Bruni-Sarkozy told a radio interviewer she would sit out the festival “for personal and also for professional reasons,” spurring the pregnancy speculation.
From a wealthy family from the Italian city of Turin, she had a successful career as a model before becoming a singer-songwriter, known for her soulful lyrics and wispy voice. She’s also known for her romantic life, which included relationships with the likes of Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton.
She and Mr Sarkozy married in early 2008. She has one son from an earlier relationship, and he has three sons from his two previous marriages.
AP