Divorce confirmed for Sarkozy

French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia have officially announced that they are to separate.

A statement from the presidential office has revealed that the couple, who have been married for 11 years, has ended several months of speculation about the state of their relationship by confirming that they are to get a divorce.

Their split is the first for any president and first lady of France and comes just five months into 52-year-old Sarkozy's presidency.

During the last few weeks Mrs Sarkozy, 49, had not accompanied her husband on his official visits which had prompted rumours that their relationship was in trouble.

The couple's lawyer, Michele Cahen, told the Associated Press that the divorce was granted on Monday, October 15th "in the presence of the two", although she did not reveal when it was requested.

"It went very well. There was not the least difficulty," Ms Cahen said on Europe-1 radio.

In France, a divorce in France can take ten to 12 weeks to finalise.

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