French President Nicolas Sarkozy joined Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on the beach this Easter to help launch a charity sailing competition for a cause close to his wife's heart.
The husband-and-wife team – who at one point shared a tender moment in the sunshine when the former model gently caressed the French president's face – were the special guests at the inauguration of the Virginio Bruni-Tedeschi sailing trophy at Le Lavandou, in the Var reagion of Provence, southeast France. The event raised money for Carla's AIDS charity.
Forty-one-year-old Carla set up the foundation in memory of her brother Virginio, whom she lost to the virus in 2006. The sailing cup is named after him.
France's First Lady - ready for summer in a funky diagonal striped halter neck top - was joined at the event by her mother, Italian concert pianist Marisa Borini.