Paris: The Private Lives of Public People

Fashion forward French feet -- Valérie Trierweiler in YSL platforms at the White House.

France -- and perhaps the world (or perhaps not) -- is embroiled in the intrigue and the reported jealousy that is raging between France's current "Premier Companion," Valérie Trierweiler, and Ségolène Royal, the former companion of the current president.

Ségolène Royal and Valérie Trierweiler

The London Daily Telegraph reported on the situation and this week's Elle had a splashy front cover teaser alluding to the brouhaha. Inside, the article mostly talked about Madame Trierweiler's purported jealousy indicating that Madame Royal's has probably cooled since the new president has been with his companion several years.

Also of great interest were the Yves Saint Laurent shoes Madame Trierweiler wore during president François Hollande's official visit to the United States earlier this month, although the two subjects were not part of the same articles.

I wrote an essay for Women's Voices For Change today that talks more about the current cultural conundrum and the delicate matters of diplomatic decorum involving France's first unmarried president and his companion.