It was perhaps the most important public occasion for Carla Bruni-Sarkozy since she became France's First Lady. And as ever, the beautiful brunette carried it off with the style and charm the world has come to expect.
Representing her husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy, for the first time, the glamorous 40-year-old met the Dalai Lama at a magnificent Buddhist temple in Languedoc, in southern France.
Elegantly stylish in a knee-length blue dress, the former supermodel was delighted to receive a traditional white scarf of welcome from Tibet's spiritual leader. After that, the laidback First Lady happily slipped off her sandals to enter the place of worship.
Carla then listened to a short homily from the 73-year-old Nobel Peace Prize-winner, who clearly had his mind on other things. To laughs, he broke off from his wise words and told the group: "I'll stop now, because our most important item today is lunch."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
