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| Sarkozy and wife agree to split | Sarkozy and wife agree to split |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to separate from his wife of 11 years, Cecilia, the presidential office says. | French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to separate from his wife of 11 years, Cecilia, the presidential office says. |
| The separation is "by mutual consent", the Elysee Palace statement said. | The separation is "by mutual consent", the Elysee Palace statement said. |
| Speculation had recently been mounting that the couple were to split, with the media often remarking on Ms Sarkozy's absence from her husband's side. | Speculation had recently been mounting that the couple were to split, with the media often remarking on Ms Sarkozy's absence from her husband's side. |
| Cecilia Sarkozy has had a successful career as a model and parliamentary aide and has said that she never wanted to be a traditional first lady. | Cecilia Sarkozy has had a successful career as a model and parliamentary aide and has said that she never wanted to be a traditional first lady. |
| Both were already divorcees when they married each other in 1996, each with children from a previous marriage. | |
| They have a 10-year-old son together, Louis. | |
| Cecilia Sarkozy was once one of her husband's closest political advisers. | |
| They have had a turbulent relationship and were separated for several months in 2005, when Cecilia went to live in New York with an advertising executive. | |
| Though reconciled afterwards, the couple did not appear in public as often as was expected as Mr Sarkozy's presidential campaign gathered steam. | |
| This summer she failed to accompany her husband to a picnic lunch hosted by US President George W Bush and last weekend she was again absent from her husband's side at France's Rugby World Cup match against England. |