Justin Trudeau And Sophie Gregoire: A Love Story Worthy Of Hollywood

In the middle of the luxurious hall, under the play of a romantic waltz at the Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix charity ball, a tall and stately young man enthusiastically circles his companion, who, however, does not resist at all, but, on the contrary, bursts into cheerful laughter. The attraction between them is hard to miss. They flirt all evening. Why, they became interested in each other as soon as they were told that that evening they would receive guests together. But the collaboration built to raise money for the treatment of children gradually grew into something more.

It happened in July 2003. The young man was a young politician and the son of the famous ex-Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau Justin. The girl's name was Sophie Gregoire, and probably even more people knew her - as a TV journalist and fashion model - than the charming Justin. But, be that as it may, that evening they were united by altruism. After the holiday, enchanted by the beauty of the evening and the courtesy of her companion, Sophie will write him an e-mail with an offer to meet again.

But Justin Trudeau won't answer her.

Kiss in the closet

Sophie knew perfectly well who Justin was - and not at all thanks to political chronicles, because they met as teenagers. It happened in the first months of Pierre Trudeau's retirement, when the family of the legendary politician had to leave Ottawa and settle in Montreal. From now on, the "father of Canada" became just the dad of his four children.

Sophie studied at the same school as the premier's sons, and shared a desk with Justin's younger brother Michel. With the parents of her future groom, despite the fact that she herself came from a completely ordinary family, the girl was also familiar. “They had such a great pool,” Sophie said many years later, “they had ropes, rungs, so we played Tarzan all the time.”

Justin and him were four years apart, so of course they hardly spoke to each other. But teenage curiosity and mutual attraction were still there. It was then, in one of the wardrobes, as Gregoire later recalled, that he and Justin kissed for the first time.

However, childish tomfoolery remained locked in a dark closet. Very soon they grew up, and, it seemed, they themselves had already forgotten their names. She slowly but surely built herself a career in journalism, and he quickly, albeit an ornate path, went to politics. No one was surprised: President Nixon predicted the political career of a baby Justin at one time. Now, it seemed, Trudeau himself, having previously tried himself either as a teacher or as a sports instructor, finally believed in the karma of family destiny. At his father's funeral in October 2000, he gave a speech akin to the promotion that was dubbed the Trudeau clan's "first dynastic manifesto" that same day. And it really was a turning point: Since then, Justin flashed on television as often as Sophie went on the air of Quebec television.

In a word, by 2003, when they happened to see each other again at a charity ball, they were both already stars. "We laughed, joked and felt a strong chemistry," Justin said, "And that's when I realized that this was the kind of girl that I should take seriously."

Yet the classic tale ended abruptly. As soon as Justin freed himself from the romantic intoxication of that evening, he realized: no, he is not ready. Sophie's email was never answered.

Tamed Heartbreaker

“I received that e-mail,” Trudeau later admitted, “and did not answer. But I didn’t delete it either, just thinking that I wouldn’t mess with what I don’t want.” He liked Sophie - it was obvious, but, as often happens with bachelors in their 30s, Justin could not just break up with the life of a ladies' man.

He himself called this time his "socially active phase" - but, of course, everyone understood what actually was behind this dry formulation.

Sophie didn't insist. Since childhood, her father raised her as a feminist - not a militant man-hater, but a woman who could respect herself. It took Sophie years to cultivate this quality in herself: at the age of 20, she became seriously ill with nervous bulimia - a disease that in those days was indecent and embarrassing, and from which Princess Diana suffered for a long time (read: Catastrophe for the dynasty: "mental Disease "of Princess Diana). But the girl found the strength to seek help and treatment, and since then she has never turned a blind eye to the problems of others - whether they are girls with similar problems, children with congenital diseases, or oppressed refugees. She will later speak of her bulimia as a blessing that taught her to love herself and love all of humanity. And that was what she meant to be a feminist. She was already a self-sufficient person. It was not in her rules to impose.

But if fate taught Sophie to love herself, then with Justin she had to work longer in order to teach him to surrender to real feelings irrevocably and headlong. A couple of weeks after that ball, they will collide again - again by accident. But this time, Sophie won't stand on ceremony. She will pass by, honoring the handsome Justin with only one distant greeting. For the heartthrob Trudeau, it was a real break in the template: logic did not suggest any more or less acceptable explanation, but he could not miss the rebellious journalist again. “Wait,” the country's most famous bachelor shouted after her, “I want to call you. Let's meet and have dinner. " Sophie's face stretched out, but the woman did not lose her composure. "If you have not deleted my letter, then you must have my number," she answered shortly and walked further arm in arm with her friend,leaving a discouraged Justin in the middle of the street.

That evening, Sophie received a letter from Trudeau inviting her to dinner.

Two naked hearts

They spent their first date at dinner in an Afghan restaurant - Sophie initially made a condition that she would not go anywhere with him, where he had already met other women. However, her adherence to principles and perseverance had nothing to do with the way she behaved during the meeting. Pretty soon, skepticism about Justin's bragging rights faded and Sophie relaxed, apparently determined to give the kinky romance a chance. Dinner smoothly turned into a karaoke bar, where, intoxicated either from excitement or from falling in love, the politician sang songs of Elton John and the Beatles in front of the journalist, and she, in between fits of laughter, called him an idiot.

It was one of those first dates when a man doesn't find any alpha reserves in himself to control the situation. Justin was fascinated by Sophie, and therefore none of his bachelor tricks for taming the ladies worked. All that remained was to improvise.

They spent the rest of the evening in Justin's apartment. “I looked at her,” Trudeau recalls, “and felt myself overwhelmed with calm and confidence. And I told her: “I have been waiting for you for 32 years and already thought that I would never wait. I know for sure: you are my only one. " That same evening, he announced to Sophie that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And then they, a respected politician and well-known TV journalist, burst into tears like children. “This is because we are both sensitive souls. Two tender naked hearts, "- said Justin.

Since then, they have not parted. It seemed that they were united by everything: love of extreme, charity and, of course, liberalism in all its manifestations - from politics to attitude to life. Sophie remembered Justin's father very well - not as the prime minister, but as the head of the friendly Trudeau family, in which she had a chance to play Tarzan. These were special memories - for both of them. It is not surprising that Sophie Justin made an offer just a year later and on his father's birthday - October 18, 2004. And here everything was already like in a real fairy tale: Royal Suite in a hotel in the city center, a fireplace, candles, rose petals and Justin knelt down.

"I call him my prince," Sophie laughs, "because he treats me like a real princess."

They insisted on a modest celebration, and, nevertheless, the whole country watched the preparations for it. Even then, Justin and Sophie found the fame of the local Windsors, to which, among other things, popular love and crazy interest in all the details of their life together were attached. Sophie stoically withstood the oppression of the press, turning public attention into political dividends for her future husband. No complaints: just a sincere smile and the most friendly communication with journalists.

The couple did not invite politicians and stars, and yet the celebration turned out to be very fashionable. A gold straight dress instead of the fluffy white that was fashionable at that time, tiny cupcakes instead of a big cake and a rare Mercedes, which belonged to Justin's father, instead of a pompous limousine. Thus was born a couple who would later become the face of the nation.

Prince and Princess of Canada

In Canada, there has never been a cult of political dynasties, but the Gregoire-Trudeau couple very soon received the unofficial title of "the sexiest dynasty of politicians since Kennedy" from the press. Well, there was a reason. While the charming Justin was building a career in the Liberal Party of Canada, his charming wife continued to host entertainment programs, gave birth to children and appeared on the covers of glossy publications. Together, they were guests of honor at any social or charity event, taking their popularity to the point where no average Canadian could remember a politician other than Trudeau.

Interestingly, the first years of their married life, Sophie and Justin were forced to live in two cities. The woman worked and raised children in Montreal, while her husband had to disappear for days in the capital. Justin's mother repeatedly tried to teach her daughter-in-law the art of living with a politician (Margaret Sinclair herself could not resist and left Pierre Trudeau when Justin was only 6), but Sophie, it seemed, did not need any wisdom from her mother-in-law. She never felt discomfort from the shadow of her husband, and she herself, as she later admitted in an interview, was not afraid of loneliness. Sophie was always with Justin at the right moment for him - without fear of being in second place. Probably, she was reassured by the very behavior of her husband, who did not tire of publicly confessing his love to her and never let go of her hand.

In the eyes of ordinary Canadians, they were a special couple - young, energetic and open to everything new. It is not surprising that very soon Justin became the leader of the Liberal Party, and in 2015 he moved with his whole family to his "first home" - to the premier residence at 24 Sussex Drive, where he practically spent his entire childhood.

Sophie didn't call Justin her prince for nothing. He, of course, did not bring her the crown, but now she is the First Lady of Canada with all the ensuing advantages. She always wanted to change the world for the better, and from now on she has been given the full right of her own voice. Together with Justin, she meets with world leaders, with ambassadors of charitable organizations, appears before Parliament and leads refugee parades. But there are also more "mundane" bonuses: for example, diplomatic immunity, honorable places at all premieres and the services of the respected stylist Jessica Marloney (who, by the way, even dresses the chosen one of Prince Harry Meghan Markle). And all thanks to that crazy, but very romantic guy who blatantly ignored her letter for fear of falling in love and losing his head.