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On Thursday, Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, will turn 70, but don't expect her to talk about it.
In January, she told the women's lifestyle magazine S, "Wait for April 13, 2023 when I'm going to be 70," with barely disguised dread about the forthcoming flood of news articles. I'm sure you'll be told about it.
"That day, I won't read anything."
The 25-year age gap between Brigitte and her husband, whom she met while he was a student and she was a teacher at a private school in northeast France, has been a constant reminder for Brigitte, who has three children from a previous marriage.
Their marriage was a sensation when Emmanuel Macron arose in the public eye - - first as a clergyman, then, at that point, as an official competitor in 2016 - - with many addressing whether such a strange couple could be true.
However their tender and cozy relationship has since prevailed upon cynics, public interest in the standard bowing first couple - - and references to Brigitte's age - - never let up.
"Our couple has never been promoted by me: "Obviously it's easier to be in the same age range," she continued in her interview with S. "It exists, but you can't explain it."
Her office declined to get out whatever she had made arrangements for her milestone birthday when reached by AFP.
On Wednesday evening, the first lady and her husband left for a two-day state visit to the Netherlands. During that time, they saw Anne Frank's house and attended a state banquet hosted by the Dutch king.
She once talked about the gamble of seeming like an improving "jar of blossoms" during the organized photograph operations and stylized obligations of such events.
She reportedly discouraged her husband from entering public life in the first place and remained notably reticent about his bid for a second term in April of last year. She was always a reluctant political wife.
The literature and theater enthusiast was personally targeted by so-called "Yellow Vest" protesters during anti-Macron demonstrations in 2018 and received insulting remarks from former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his cabinet.
"Did you see my face on re-appointment night?" She recently spoke to Le Point magazine, praising her lackluster performance as her husband celebrated winning an additional five years in power.
She has thrown herself into charity work at home when she is not representing France abroad, supported by a small team that works from their own space in the presidential palace.
The vast majority of her mission issues are connected to her previous profession as an educator - - harassing in schools, youth chemical imbalance, emotional well-being and virtual entertainment - - yet they are likewise exemplary decisions.
Robert Schneider, the author of "First Ladies," a book in French about presidents' wives, told AFP, "In terms of her activities, she is very traditional in her approach."
Brigitte is thought to be more conservative than her husband and is friendly with right-wing former president Nicolas Sarkozy. She was born into a wealthy provincial family, and her father owned a chocolate shop in her hometown of Amiens.
"There were two sides to her at first: a free woman who had defied social norms through her marriage; and a conventional woman: a Catholic, provincial bourgeoisie, well-educated, well-dressed, right-leaning voter," Schneider added.