French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy speaks with journalist Jean-Pierre Pernault, on May 16, 2011 on a set of French TV channel TF1 in Boulogne-Billancourt, outside Paris, prior to take part in the lunch time news show of TF1. – AFP Photo

BERLIN: The wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is expecting a child, the president's father told Tuesday's edition of the German Bild newspaper.

"I'm glad to be having a grandchild," Pal Sarkozy, 82, told Europe's most widely-read newspaper.

Neither the president nor his wife "want to know the sex the child, but I'm sure it's a girl who'll be as beautiful as Carla," he added.

A cryptic television interview by France's 43-year-old first lady on Monday had fuelled speculation she was pregnant.

Journalists had widely expected Bruni to announce she was pregnant when she scheduled a live interview on the top lunch time news show of private channel TF1, but she tantalisingly avoided confirming it openly.

Instead of asking the million-dollar question, presenter Jean-Pierre Pernaut quizzed Bruni for several minutes on her charity work against child illiteracy, before dispatching the pregnancy issue in a matter of seconds.

"I know you don't like people talking about your private life, but I just want to congratulate you," Pernaut said.

The supermodel-turned-singersmiled shyly and replied: "I congratulate you too," without saying what for. The interview then ended.

A former top model turned singer, Bruni-Sarkozy already has a son born in 2001, while her husband, whom she married in February 2008, has three sons from two previous marriages, born respectively in 1985, 1986 and 1997.

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...