Emmanuel Macron: An unconventional President

By Connor Sephton, News Reporter

He's 39 years old, and has just become the youngest president in France's history. But who is Emmanuel Macron? Here, we look at how a schoolboy from Amiens defied convention - both politically and romantically.

Mr Macron was born in December 1977 in the north of France.

The eldest of three children, he is the son of a doctor and a neurology professor - yet he would not follow his parents into the world of science.

Instead, Mr Macron grew up discovering history with his maternal grandmother, who he called Manette.

She would teach him grammar for hours after school, and together they would read the works of great French playwrights such as Jean Racine and Moliere.

His mother recalls how he would spend break times in school debating with teachers rather than playing with classmates outside.

Mr Macron's passion for literature and drama would transform his life when he attended a Jesuit college in the early 1990s.

At 15, he fell in love with his drama teacher Brigitte Trogneux - a married mother of three who was 24 years his senior. They would later become man and wife, but the path was by no means easy.

According to Anne Fulda, a biographer who interviewed the Macron family, his parents had told Ms Trogneux to stay away from their son until he became 18 years old.

"I cannot promise you anything," the teacher tearfully replied.

Years later, she would confide in a friend that being with Mr Macron was like "working with Mozart".

Mr Macron's mother, Francoise, is quoted in Fulda's book as saying: "We couldn't believe it. What is clear is that when Emmanuel met Brigitte we couldn't just say: 'That's great!'"

The pair defied Mr Macron's parents, and even though their romance caused a scandal in the small city of Amiens, the relationship endured.

He left for Paris to complete his education at one of France's finest high schools, but their bond strengthened - with Mr Macron telling Ms Trogneux: "I will be back for you. Whatever you do, I will marry you."

She went on to divorce her husband - and they married in 2007. Now, they are the First Couple of France.

Mr Macron has described the intrigue surrounding his marriage as "misogyny". In Fulda's book, he says: "Nobody would call it unusual if the age difference was reversed. People find it difficult to accept something that is sincere and unique."

Indeed, there is another first couple who share a 24-year age difference: Donald and Melania Trump.

Based on her findings, Fulda said: "Those who know Emmanuel Macron - or think they do - all sensed a steely determination from the start, an almost imperceptible feeling of superiority, an unshakeable confidence in his destiny that comes from an egocentrism that is deep seated and well concealed."

Mr Macron has also ripped up the rule book when it comes to his political career.

After working as a civil servant and an investment banker, he rose through the ranks in Francois Hollande's administration to become an economy minister in August 2014.

But he became disillusioned with the Socialist Party because his ideas were not being transformed into policies, and he resigned in the summer of 2016.

In the months before his departure, he started En Marche! - the independent, centrist movement which would captivate voters and tear apart France's two-party system, knocking the Socialists and the Republicans out in the first round.

It is the first time Mr Macron has been elected into office.

He has been described as someone who is pleasant to work with, but demanding. Now, he has the keys to the Elysee Palace.