Francois Hollande has been pictured for the first time with his ‘secret’ lover Julie Gayet – relaxing in the official home of the French president. According to French sources Gayet has been a regular fixture at the Elysee Palace for months. The images of the pair sitting in the gardens of the Elysee Palace come as former first lady Valerie Trierweiler prepares to arrives in Britain. She was unceremoniously dumped by Mr Hollande in January, but is now promoting a kiss-and-tell book subtitled: ‘A story of love, power and betrayal’. Scroll down for video Caught in the act: The pictures, published by a French magazine, shows Francois Hollande and his rumoured girlfriend Julie Gayet, 42, sitting in the gardens of the Elysee Palace in Paris
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President Francois Hollande pictured with Julie Gayet for the first time
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Hollande and Gayet, 42, snapped sitting in the Elysee Palace gardens
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Gayet  'looks lovingly into his eyes' in snaps published in France
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Former first lady Valerie Trierweiler is heading to UK to promote her book
But his ambiguous – not to say confusing – reply did not mention well sourced claims that Ms @placeholder is actually staying overnight at the presidential palace, and there are even claims that she has her own bodyguard.
Asked whether his secret trysts with Ms @placeholder had debased the institution of the presidency, Mr Hollande said in the TV interview: ‘I think the responsibility is collective.