Wives of Presidents. From invisible recluses to influential models
On July 11, the NATO summit started in Brussels. While presidents and prime ministers have serious conversations about politics, their significant other attends cultural and entertainment events. As part of the summit, they always come up with a separate program for the spouses of politicians so that they do not get bored, but at the same time show each other their outfits.
During the day, modestly and discreetly
In the afternoon, first ladies and wives of heads of government visited the Academy of Music in Waterloo. The first lady of France, Brigitte Macron, chose white suit from your favorite brand Louis Vuitton with metal fittings. A skirt length just above the knee is acceptable in a business dress code, although it is rarely used in practice. If you look at the rest of the politicians' companions, their outfits are a couple of centimeters below the knee - this is the classic protocol length. The midi-length dress of US First Lady Melania Trump and the outfit of the wife of Turkish President Emine Erdogan stand out against the general background.
Melania in most cases chooses a noble midi length - it is fashionable, beautiful, and comfortable. This time, Donald Trump's wife chose Calvin Klein for $2,430. TV presenter Tina Kandelaki previously appeared in public in such a dress, but it is unlikely that Melania’s stylist follows Russian stars. The First Lady of the USA's dress is quite modest, but due to the decor on the shoulder it looks interesting.
The First Lady of Turkey, Emine Erdogan, adheres to the Muslim dress code: all parts of the body are covered, the head is covered with a headscarf. Emine's constant accessory is glasses. The fashion world knows several examples of Muslim women politicians dressing modernly and stylishly, while still being within the bounds of tradition. For example, the former first lady and mother of the current emir of Qatar. But Emine Erdogan deliberately ignores the European concept of style, dressing in classic clothes for Muslim women. In her outfit, you can praise the red color - it is now at the peak of popularity.
Amélie Derbaudrenghien, friend of the Prime Minister of Belgium, has an interesting dress. She chose a bright yellow dress with asymmetrical shoulders. Everything is within the framework of the protocol, but at the same time, due to the color, Amelie does not get lost against the background of other women.
Hidden among the women is the husband of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Gauthier Erdegan. The couple is officially married. Bettel is the country's first openly gay leader.
More glamor in the evening
In the evening, the ladies changed clothes to join the spouses for dinner. Linen and cotton dresses were replaced by fabrics more suitable for the evening - velvet, silk, guipure, organza.
Melania Trump stands out noticeably against the general background in chic dress from Lebanese designer Elie Saab. Can't do without his outfits. Melania's image is feminine and sexy at the same time. Once again, her favorite length is midi. Melania chose a dress from the Elie Saab spring-summer 2018 collection. The underwear was specially made for the First Lady of the United States beige dress so that the naked body is not visible under the semi-transparent fabric.
We expected a little more from Brigitte Macron. But the first lady of France again chose a suit from Louis Vuitton. Apparently, she wanted to emphasize that the summit was still a business event.
The friend of the Belgian Prime Minister wore a dress in the now fashionable peach shade. The emphasis in the outfit is on the floral decoration on the left side and on the hem. Amelie chose a shade of lipstick to match her dress.
The wife of NATO Secretary General Ingrid Shulerud looks flawless in a classic little black dress. Since it's dinner, she draped a shawl over her shoulders, making the look more formal.
Emine Erdogan also changed her clothes for the evening, replacing the bright red cardigan with a black guipure cape. The wife of the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Moika Stropnik, chose a very beautiful raspberry shade of the dress. It has an interesting asymmetrical neckline.
The wife of the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulla Löfven, stands out from the rest. Her white dress with a floral print would be more suitable for a daytime outing.
Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And VKontakte
First ladies are always in sight. They must look great and lead by example in everything from social activities to family and dress. Some do it better than others - when charm, intelligence, style and strong character come together in one woman.
Fast website dedicated to the wives of heads of state who were not satisfied with the role of being an attachment to their politician husband, but managed to win the hearts of millions.
Jacqueline Kennedy, USA
“My task is to show the world that the United States is not a country of bad taste,” said Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of US President John F. Kennedy. And she succeeded - a style icon and a real pop star, Jacqueline still inspires fashion designers and becomes the heroine of films.
“The dress should be tight enough to show that you are a woman, and loose enough to show that you are a lady,” is also her saying. In addition to her taste and style, Jackie captivated us with her gentleness, humor, sharp mind and boundless devotion to her husband.
Michelle Obama, USA
Lively and natural, Michelle Obama evokes not only sympathy, but also great respect. When her husband was elected president, she took up the issues that worried her. In obesity-plagued America, Michelle launched the Let's Move program, dancing and playing games with teenagers, and created a vegetable garden at the White House, leading by example. healthy eating. Her sense of style deserves special praise - she knows how to look feminine and fashionable. And in oratory, Michelle eclipsed even her husband. Although she says that she has no plans to enter politics, she is promised success in this field.
Grace Kelly, Monaco
Above: Grace Kelly and Gary Grant in Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief. Below: wedding to Rainier and their children.
The first beauty and one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood abandoned her film career and wanted to become a princess. She married Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Princess Grace made the inhabitants of a small country fall in love with her - she knew how to win over everyone she interacted with. To her first Christmas ball as a princess, Grace invited children from all over the principality aged 3 to 12 years. Everyone adored her, but was Grace happy? The prince husband turned out to be a beech, he didn’t love social life and was jealous of Grace for her popularity. In 1982, the princess died in an accident, and this made her a truly iconic figure.
Carla Bruni, France
It is still unknown who benefited more from this marriage - it is not for nothing that Nicolas, with such adoration looks at his wife.
A successful top model, poetess and singer - the world learned about her before it heard about the politics of Nicolas Sarkozy. Her beauty and intelligence once captivated Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Kevin Costner. Despite her rather scandalous past, Carla quickly became a favorite of French women, primarily due to her freedom-loving nature. After leaving the post of First Lady, Carla returned to tours and headed French Vogue.
Melania Trump, USA
Above: Knauss just became the face of Levi's and is signing autographs at the brand's store. Below: US First Lady Melania Trump dances at the inauguration in a dress she designed specifically for the ceremony.
The Trump couple may evoke different feelings, but one thing is for sure: in this couple, the eyes stop on Melania. The beautiful Melania Knavs (later she changed her last name to Knauss) began her career at the age of 16, performing at shows in Milan and Paris. In 1999, the model met Donald Trump. At first, the billionaire was turned away, but he began to court him so zealously that his feelings were soon appreciated. Knauss's photos were published in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Elle and many other famous magazines.
Chantal Biya, Cameroon
Bottom left: this is how Chantal Biya came to the Pope (so that it was immediately clear where she was going). Right: They are friends with Carla Bruni.
The First Lady of Cameroon is not in danger of going unnoticed. Everything about her is a little too much: hair, bright colors, accessories. But she is known not only for her eccentricity. Chantal is involved in charity work, and the first international center in Africa to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS bears her name. Outside the country, the kind and charming first lady of Cameroon is known much more than her husband, President Paul Biya.
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al Misned, Qatar
Below: Sheikha Moza with her husband - in 2010, Qatar became the first Islamic country to win the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup games.
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al Misned, wife of the former Emir of Qatar, is one of the most stylish women in the East. Despite the traditions of her region, Moza appears in public with an open face, has a doctorate, is a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and a UNESCO special envoy.
She is considered the eminence grise of Qatar. Consider the fact that the current emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was not the eldest son and heir. Contrary to the usual principle of seniority, the throne of Qatar was inherited by the son of Sheikha Moza. Her influence is credited with modernizing the country and improving relations with the Western world.
Queen Letizia, Spain
On May 25, a summit was held in Brussels where the leaders of NATO countries met. The event was also attended by first ladies - wives of presidents and prime ministers. This time among them was the first gentleman Gautier Destenay - the husband of the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel. Reddit was taken aback, but not in the way you thought. Why is it that among all the spouses, only Destene looks really happy?!
Traditionally, while leaders of countries hold meetings at summits, their spouses enjoy the cultural program provided for them. Most often, leaders are accompanied by first ladies, but sometimes men are also in their company - such as the husband of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Joachim Sauer.
But something unusual happened at the Brussels summit. The only man among the ladies, Gautier Destenay, is married to the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel. Since the world is not yet quite accustomed to open same-sex relationships, it is not surprising that the photo has attracted attention on social networks.
However, the attention was positive: not a single negative comment about sexual orientation Destene. Many users, on the contrary, noted that he seemed to be the only one who was glad to be at the event.
"He looks like he's the only one happy there."
“God, he looks better than all these women.”
“Only this guy and the woman in pink seem like nice people, while everyone else looks like Disney villains.”
Someone remembered the joke of Bill Clinton, who, if his wife Hillary Clinton won the US presidential election, wanted to be called the first guy (from the word laddie, which sounds similar to “lady”).
"They should have called him 'first guy' instead of 'first gentleman.'
Some commentators were pleased that the world was beginning to accept people regardless of their sexual orientation.
“I can’t wait until the whole world embraces the concept that you can love whoever the hell you want and still be accepted for who you are.”
“Well, damn it, this is Europe, baby!”
Much more than Destenay, Reddit users were interested in the question: why were the husbands of Angela Merkel and Theresa May not present at the event? The reason for Joachim Sauer's absence quickly became clear: he teaches chemistry at a Berlin university and very rarely accompanies his wife at official events.
Xavier Bettel became the third leader of the country to officially register a same-sex marriage with his partner. Two years ago, and this event was celebrated as national holiday. : on social networks there were not only rainbows, but also curses.
On May 25, a NATO summit was held in Brussels. One of the important protocol moments of such an event is the official photography of distinguished guests. And here, in addition to the incident with US President Donald Trump (who unceremoniously pushed aside the Prime Minister of Montenegro in order to get into the front row), the public’s attention was also attracted by the traditional “ woman photo", where the spouses of North Atlantic politicians collectively pose. But in this photograph, taken in the palace of the Belgian king, among the women there was suddenly... a man. Who is in the second row right behind Bridget Macron, Emine Erdogan and Melania Trump? It turns out that this is Gautier Destne - the legal husband of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. (In this duchy, non-traditional unions are allowed, which allowed the leader of the “biggest small state” to legally have a partner of his own sex).
True, from the point of view of liberal standards, the question remains open: does the appearance of a man in a hitherto female society violate gender equality? Otherwise, in the last elections in the United States and France, female candidates lost to male opponents; The Secretary General of NATO is a man, the King of Belgium is a man, and then a “person of male nationality” has been inserted into a woman’s photograph.
Speaking seriously, the key player in NATO with the second largest army among the Alliance countries is Türkiye. And Emine Erdogan, the wife of the President of the Republic, is in the photo standing in a hijab right in front of the wife (husband?) of the Prime Minister of Luxembourg. Moreover, the arrangement in protocol photographs with persons of this level is agreed upon in advance, so this particular proximity is not an accident, although nothing prevented the organizers from distinguishing such different understandings of “liberal values” (and NATO, we recall, positions itself as “the union of the countries of the free world”) away from each other.
After all, if you are for feminism and gay marriage, then how does the hijab fit with them? Doesn't such a neighborhood offend the rights of feminists and gays? And most importantly, there are many religious fanatics in Turkey who consider Erdogan “too moderate.” And then suddenly, right behind his wife, stands someone who in neighboring Saudi Arabia, according to local traditions, would have been stoned, or maybe worse. So, no matter how Recep Teyip did not have to listen to harsh criticism at home after such gestures from his dear Brussels colleagues. Unfortunately, they do not have equal partners - only subordinates.
P.S. Who's in the photo? From left to right: First Lady of France Brigitte Tronier, wife of Turkish President Emine Erdogan, gay husband of Prime Minister of Luxembourg Gautier Destne, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump, common-law wife Prime Minister of Slovenia Milena* Stopnik, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, wife of Prime Minister of Iceland Thor Margarita Baldfinsdottir, wife of NATO Secretary General Ingrid Shulerud-Stoltenberg, First Lady of Bulgaria Desislava Radeva, common-law wife of Prime Minister of Belgium Amelie Derboudrenghi.