French first lady went around the streets of Paris incognito
French first lady went around the streets of Paris incognitoFrench First Lady Carla Bruni has revealed that she often takes a stroll along the streets of recession-hit Paris in "disguise", "changing voice", just as many aristocrats did at the time of the French Revolution.
According to the 41-year-old former Italian model, she has taken to walking off late because controversy surrounding her extravagant life as the third wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy sometimes make "normal" behaviour quite impossible.
In disguise
"When I go out shopping, I disguise myself by putting on glasses and I change my voice," said Bruni. And, many who have heard her voice, said it's "funny and quite different to anything you normally hear".
Rather than being deep, husky and understated u2014 as it is when Bruni speaks at official engagement or croons during singing performances u2014 it is "melodramatic and faintly ridiculous", said a source in the French capital.
She's mischievous
The source was quoted as saying, "Carla is first and foremost an artist and she loves performing. Making everybody think she is someone else while she does her shopping appeals to her sense of mischief.
"She acts like this for security reasons, but does run the risk of sounding like an unpopular member of the French aristocracy. As the recession deepens, high-profile members of the ruling class are not becoming any more popular."
New album
Bruni will also be promoting her third CD. She has invited five "ordinary housewives" to the Elyse Palace to question her about her day-to-day life.
However, when contacted, an Elyse spokesman said there would be no comment about the private lives of either Bruni or Sarkozy.
