Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Cécilia wedding list proof of secret all France knew

John Lichfield
Thursday 20 March 2008 21:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The worst-kept secret in France was finally revealed by the internet site featuring wedding gifts from the poshest department store in Paris.

Mademoiselle Cécilia Ciganer-Albeniz will be getting married in New York this Sunday to Monsieur Richard Attias. By clicking on to their wedding list on the internet, friends – or anyone else – can offer them a pair of Ralph Lauren pillow cases for €47 (£36.60) or a Wedgwood sugar bowl for €102.

"Miss" Ciganer-Albeniz is better known to the world as Cécilia Sarkozy, the divorced wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy. She will be getting married in New York on Sunday to the publicist Richard Attias, the man for whom she briefly left the future president in 2005.

Last week, the future Mme Attias fired the fashion house Versace, which had been hired to dress both Monsieur and Madame at the wedding. Versace had overstepped the market by boasting publicly about its coup, revealing not only the date and place of the marriage but the fact that it was taking place. The couple had hoped for secrecy.

What was left of the secret was trampled yesterday by the wedding-gift website of Au Bon Marché, the chic department store on the Paris Left Bank owned by the luxury goods company Louis Vuitton-Moet-Hennessy.

The gifts sought by the couple were openly listed on the site. As these things go, it was a relatively modest list. The most expensive single item is a Lestra slumberdown at €402. The other items include such traditional wedding fare as sheets and towels and a rather large number of spoons.

In an interview for a book published in January, which she later tried to ban, Ms Ciganer-Albeniz said that M. Attias was the only man that she had truly loved. She is quoted as saying that she left M. Sarkozy, and gave up the position of first lady of France, to prove her love to the New York-based businessman.

She also said a number of disagreeable things about her former husband, whom she divorced in October, five months after he became President.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in