Carla Bruni-Sarkozy: Queen was 'exquisite' and I love the eccentric British

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, France's First Lady, has described for the first time her admiration for the eccentric British and the "exquisite" Queen who spoke perfect French on her State visit to Britain.

In an interview to promote her new album Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy, who married President Nicolas Sarkozy only four weeks before the State visit in March, said that she took advice from the British embassy in Paris on how to behave.

Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy, 40, who had a whirlwind romance with the president, feared that she would not make the grade.

She thought that the British would be judgmental about her past life which had included a string of relationships with pop stars including Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger.

Her worse fears were confirmed when on the day she arrived a nude photograph from her previous life as a model was splashed over the front pages of two British newspapers. It was later auctioned by Christie's for £46,000.

While Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy feared the photograph it might damage her husband in the political arena she never felt any regret as she said she had no shame over what she had done in the past.

But any fears over the reaction of the British were forgotten after the warm reception from the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall who met the French party at Heathrow Airport. They the escorted them to Windsor Castle where they were guests of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

The Duke showed the couple to their bedroom which he had explained had been the same room where his mother and grandmother had been born.

Despite the imposing regal surroundings the couple had felt at ease at all times because of the kindness of the Royal Family.

The First Lady had said that the "exquisite" Queen was everything she had imagined a Monarch would be. "Her intelligence, her perfect French - and she looked so well."

The President, at one point, had asked the Queen if she ever felt tired. The Queen, in faultless French, replied that while she often did she would never let it show.

In the interview in the Sunday Times, Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy, whose style and dress sense won her rave reviews in France and Britain, had loved the British for their "eccentric" and traditional behaviour despite her initial misigivings before she arrived.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2287048/Carla-Bruni-Sarkozy-Queen-was-'exquisite'-and-I-love-the-eccentric-British.html