It seems breaking a leg really did bring some good luck to Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger who was sworn in for a second term as California's governor general, despite his party's widespread defeats in America's mid-term elections.
The Terminator star, who broke his right femur in a skiing accident on December 23, had to hobble on stage using crutches for the swearing-in ceremony in Sacramento. Help was on hand, though, in the form of his wife of 20 years, Maria Shriver, who was there to support her husband along with the couple's four children Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.
Austria-born Arnie received a standing ovation as he arrived for the ceremony. It was his first public appearance since the accident, but the actor lived up to his tough-guy status as he stood unaided to deliver a 15-minute address to the assembled 3,000-strong audience. "Being a public servant, to serve the people of California, is the greatest honour, the greatest pleasure that anyone could ever have," he said.
Despite still being in pain from his injury, he later attended the start of the Governor's inaugural ball, where he belted out a couple of lines from the Frank Sinatra classic My Way alongside a proud Maria, ultra elegant in a Monique Lhuillier gown.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
