Malcolm Turnbull, Emmanuel Macron: PM responds to ‘delicious wife’ comment

THE French President made headlines with his description of Lucy Turnbull. Here’s what she really thought about it.

IT was a comment which raised eyebrows around the world.

But Malcolm Turnbull reckons his wife Lucy was pretty flattered by French President Emmanuel Macron describing her as “delicious”.

The Prime Minister was today asked what he and his wife thought of Mr Macron’s compliment.

“Lucy was very flattered and she asked me to say that she found the President’s compliment as charming as it was memorable,” Mr Turnbull told reporters.

The moment was captured during a joint press conference yesterday which discussed Australia and France’s joint co-operation.

The French leader thanked the PM and his wife “delicious” wife Lucy for their warm welcome to Australia.

“I want to thank you for your welcome, you and your delicious wife for the warm welcome,” Mr Macron told Mr Turnbull.

“Thanks to you and Lucy, thanks to you very much, Mr Prime Minister.”

Mr Macron thanked Mr Turnbull and his delicious wife Lucy for their warm welcome. Picture: Blondet Eliot pool/SIPA / MEGA

Today, the The Daily Telegraph depicted the French President as amorous cartoon skunk Pepe Le Pew on its front page.

And while many Australian Twitter users erupted in fury, Macron told aides the newspaper front page “made me laugh a lot” — according to the Telegraph.

“A newspaper had some fun and it made me laugh a lot, especially since in the original cartoon the character has a French accent,” Macron told reporters shortly before leaving Sydney at the end of a two-day visit.

Macron most likely meant “delightful”, a common translation of the French word “delicieux” — which can also mean delicious as well.

However the moment was quickly noticed and grabbed the attention of social media and the international press.

Speaking about the incident today, Mr Turnbull made light of it and added Mr Macron was a great friend of Australia.

“It was a great visit,” Mr Turnbull said.

“President Macron charmed Australia and certainly charmed all of us.”

Mr Turnbull spoke of the strong bonds between Australia and France which were forged on the battlefields more than 100 years ago.

“It was a great visit,” Mr Turnbull repeated.

“Mrs Turnbull is both flattered and charmed.”

The two leaders posed for selfies in Sydney yesterday. Picture: Instagram

Mr Macron was visiting Australia for talks on trade and regional security and heads to the French territory of New Caledonia.

The delicious moment wouldn’t be the first time a moment has been lost in translation by a French President.

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy caused a stir when he welcomed then US secretary of state Hillary Clinton to the Elysee Palace with the words: “I am sorry for the time”, one of the possible translations of the word “temps”, which also means weather.

Mr Macron’s Socialist former mentor, ex-president Francois Hollande also had a moment when he attempted to put his personal touch on a letter of congratulations to Barack Obama following his election victory in 2008.

Mr Hollande signed off “friendly, Francois Hollande” — a direct translation of the French word “amicalement” which means “warm regards”.

- with AFP