France’s First ‘Lady’
MAIL ONLINE: There's a time for reminiscing over your old photo albums.

But unfortunately for Carla Bruni, now is not that time.

Just as France's first lady tries to keep a low profile amid global headlines about the state of her marriage, another reminder of her somewhat racy past has propelled her straight back into the spotlight.

Two photographs of Miss Bruni in her modelling days are up for grabs at an auction. In one, taken by the legendary Helmut Newton, the then 25-year-old leans against a mahogany piano, with her skirt riding up in a rather risque fashion.

Pictures of Miss Bruni, 43, in various states of undress have surfaced before.

But as she fights rumours that affairs on both sides have endangered her marriage to French president Nicolas Sarkozy she may wish she'd kept her clothes on just for once. Don't you wish you'd kept your clothes on, Carla? Provocative photos of Miss Bruni aged 25 are put up for auction >>> Katie Glass | Friday, March 19, 2010

Carla Bruni Sarkozy Has a Headache!

Carla Bruni Sarkozy romping on the beach with Raphaël Enthoven. Photo courtesy of Google Images
MAIL Online: Hundreds of 'highly intimate' images of the French president's wife and her former lover have been stolen during a burglary.

The photographs and videos of Carla Bruni, who is on an official trip to Spain with Nicolas Sarkozy, date from the 41-year- old's affair with philosopher Raphael Enthoven.

Thieves broke into the Paris flat of his brother, 27-year-old actor Julien Enthoven, where the prints and videos were being kept, and stole them.

Police believe the images could be posted on the web, serving to embarrass Nicolas Sarkozy or be sold for a sizeable sum, thanks to his third wife's status.

A source said: 'The thieves appeared to know exactly what they were looking for, taking highly intimate prints, a camera full of further images, videos, and numerous computer files.

'They broke into Mr Enthoven's flat in Rue Dauphine, in the sixth arrondissement, on Sunday night, smashing a window in the sitting room which looks out on to the courtyard. Nobody was at home at the time, and nothing else was taken.'

Raphael, who fathered Miss Bruni's son Aurelien, eight, is believed to have entrusted the pictures to his brother as he did not want them to embarrass his new partner, or Mr Sarkozy, a detective working on the case said. Carla's Agony as Intimate Photos of Her with Ex-lover Are Stolen in Raid on Paris Flat >>> By Peter Allen | Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Yet again, I have had a photo removed from this webite by Photobucket for contravention of their ‘terms and conditions’. This happens with alarming frequency!

Images such as these are not pornographic. I never post anything pornographic on this website; moreover, these images are freely available on Google Images. Were they to be pornographic, they should not, would not, appear on that Google source.

This image is one of Carla Bruni Sarkozy, the First Lady of France, no less than Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President’s wife! Are we therefore to conclude that Photobucket considers this photo of her to be improper or obscene? If so, this is an insult to the First Lady of France!

To me, it would appear that Photobucket is being overly sensitive. The dictionary definition of pornography is as follows:

Obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, esp. those having little or no artistic merit.

Origin:

1840–50; < Gk pornográph(os) writing about harlots (porno-, comb. form of pórnē harlot + -graphos -graph ) [Source: Dictionary.com]

This photo certainly has artistic merit; and it in no way meets the criteria laid down in the dictionary for pornography.

What this also shows me is that there is a cleft between attitudes to nudity in Europe and America. Americans are probably still labouring under their puritanical past. Europe has liberated itself – long ago!

This image is hosted by ImageShack. We will see if they take a broader view. – ©Mark

Scare as Sarkozy Departs Israel
Photo of M. Sarkozy and his wife, Carla, with Mahmoud Abbas before leaving Israel
Watch BBC video: The moment the French president and his wife were rushed to safety >>>
BBC: Confusion has marred French President Nicolas Sarkozy's farewell to Israel, after a soldier shot himself dead during an airport departure ceremony

Mr Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, were rushed into their plane after the shot. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was also hurried to safety.

The incident at Ben-Gurion airport came at the end of Mr Sarkozy's three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank.

A police spokesman said the security officer had committed suicide.

Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident, which happened just as Mr Sarkozy and Ms Bruni were about to board their plane, had posed no threat to the visitors.

He denied reports that it might have been an assassination attempt on the French president. Other reports suggested the soldier may have shot himself accidentally.

Witnesses said the incident was over within minutes and that Mr Olmert had then boarded the Sarkozys' plane to say farewell and explain what had happened. Scare as Sarkozy Departs Israel >>> | June 24, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Israeli Soldier Commits Suicide in front of Nicolas Sarkozy: An Israeli guard shot himself dead at the farewell of Nicolas Sarkozy, sending the French president's wife running for safety amid fears of a terrorist attack >>> By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem | June 25, 2008


The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US)

What the French Are Saying About “President Bling-Bling” and Carla
Watch HERE
Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)