Brigitte Macron puts on a brave face as she joins husband Emmanuel for French Bastille Day celebrations as furore over ludicrous claim she is actually a man continues

Daily Mail​

14-07-2025

France's first lady put on a brave face and joined her husband for the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, as it emerged she had taken her libel case against women who claimed she used to be a man to the highest appeals court.
Brigitte Macron, 72, joined President Emmanuel Macron, 47, at the Place de la Concorde for a record-breaking procession through the capital, intended to show off the military's 'operational credibility' on Monday.
She was pictured at her husband's side as her lawyer announced she would take her case to the Cour de Cassation, after the Paris appeals court overturned earlier convictions against the two women for spreading false claims.
Ms Macron filed a complaint against the two women after they posted a video in 2021 alleging she had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux - who is Ms Macron's brother.
The nation marked Bastille Day on Monday with an unprecedented parade on the Champs-Élysées after President Emmanuel Macron warned of Russia 's 'lasting threat' to Europe and wider freedoms.
Some 7,000 military personnel were joined by columns of tanks in the traditional march from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde as scores of planes and helicopters performed manoeuvres in the skies.
Celebrations are planned nationwide as the country commemorates the storming of the Bastille fortress and prison on July 14, 1789 - a pivotal moment in the French Revolution that ultimately brought about the end of absolute monarchical rule.
The holiday period also sees special awards handed out to people of note. Gisèle Pelicot, who became a hero to victims of sexual violence during a four-month trial this year, was among this year's recipients of France's most prestigious award, the Légion d'honneur.
On the eve of the parade, President Macron used his annual speech to announce a €6.5 billion euro (£5.63bn) boost to defence over the next two years - around six per cent more than the total €110bn already planned for 2026/27.
'Since 1945, freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously,' he said of the military and cyber threats facing Europe. 'To be free in this world, we must be feared. To be feared, we must be powerful.'
(From L) Two French Air and Space army Cougar helicopters and a French Air and Space army helicopter Puma helicopter perform a fly-over past the Sacre-Coeur Basilica during the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris on July 14, 2025
General Loïc Mizon, the Military Governor of Paris, told Radio France Internationale the parade was intended to show off France's 'operational credibility' against security challenges.
Soldiers from the 7th Armoured Brigade marched in full combat gear, rather than ceremonial garb, in an unprecedented move Mizon described as a 'clear demonstration of our determination and effectiveness'.
The Paris event included flyovers by fighter jets, trailing red, white and blue smoke above the capital as soldiers and military vehicles proceeded down below.
Two riders fell from their horses near the end of the parade, and it was unclear whether anyone was hurt. Such incidents happen occasionally at the annual event.
Each parade uniform has a touch of symbolism. The contingent from the French Foreign Legion was eye-catching, its bearded troops wearing leather aprons and carrying axes, a reference to their original role as route clearers for advancing armies.
Finnish troops serving in the U.N. force in Lebanon, and Belgian and Luxembourg troops serving in a NATO force in Romania also paraded through Paris, reflecting the increasingly international nature of the event.
Among the dignitaries invited to watch will be Fousseynou Samba Cissé, who rescued two babies from a burning apartment earlier this month and received a last-minute invitation in a phone call from Macron himself.
'I wasn't expecting that call,' he told online media Brut. 'I feel pride.'
More than 450 Indonesian service members joined the parade on foot after the Patrouille de France air show.
Indonesia is this year's guest of honour, with France having recently concluded a strategic defence partnership to strengthen its role in the Indo-Pacific.
Jaguar armored vehicles of the 1st Spahis Regiment drive down the Champs-Elysees avenue during the annual Bastille Day military ceremony in Paris, France, July 14, 2025
The Southeast Asian country was expected to confirm purchase of French Rafale fighter jets and other military equipment during the visit.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who was accused of rights abuses under Indonesia's prior dictatorship, will be treated to a special holiday dinner at the Elysée Palace.
What does Bastille Day commemorate?
Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789, and the unity of the French people at the Fete de la Federation a year later.
The storming of the Bastille was a major turning point in the early days of the French Revolution, as militias took up arms against royal troops.
Civilian insurgents and mutinous French Guards went to the fortress in Paris, long a symbol of Royal tyranny, and demanded its surrender.
After a tense standoff, several guards were killed and the governor was beheaded, setting a precedent for violence.
The French Revolution would ultimately overthrow the monarchy and lay the groundwork for more Enlightenment-inspired ideals of freedom and rights - though France soon descended into political turmoil, repression, and mass executions, before Napoleon's eventual rise to power.
And late this evening, the capital will host a half-hour firework show at the Eiffel Tower.
This year's event is set against the backdrop of growing uncertainty across Europe around the fate of the War in Ukraine and the perceived threat from Russia.
European intelligence bureaus and security think tanks have warned in recent months that Russia could be looking to attack a NATO members before the end of the decade.
Pressed by the United States, European members have sought to hike defence spending in response to the perceived threat.
Germany alone plans a 70 per cent increase in military expenditure to €162bn by 2029.
On the eve of Bastille Day this year, France's Macron announced 6.5 billion euros in extra French military spending in the next two years because of new threats ranging from Russia to terrorism and online attacks.
The French leader also called for intensified efforts to protect Europe and support for Ukraine.
'While we had planned to double the defence budget by 2030, we will double it by 2027,' he told an audience of top military officials in the gardens of the French defence ministry on Sunday.
'There will be €64 billion for defense in 2027. That's twice more than in 2017. It's a new, historic and proportionate effort.'
Macron did not say where the money would come from.
France's prime minister, Francois Bayrou, is to unveil a plan for the 2026 budget tomorrow, with defence set to be the only area to receive a boost.
The government is looking to find as much as €40bn by cutting spending and raising taxes to balance the books. Most opposition parties support a raise in defence spending, at least.
French army during the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris, France on July 14, 2025
Paris aims to be able to deploy a 'war ready' brigade of more than 7,000 personnel within 10 days if required, and aspires to be able to do the same with an entire division of 20,000 within 30 days by 2027.
France separately bestowed prestigious awards on notable people around the Bastille Day celebrations today.
This year's recipients include Gisèle Pelicot, who became a global hero to victims of sexual violence during a four-month trial in which her husband and dozens of men were convicted of sexually assaulting her while she was drugged unconscious.
Others earning the honor are Yvette Levy, a Holocaust survivor and French Resistance fighter, and musician Pharrell Williams, designer for Louis Vuitton.