The $30 million power couple's Monaco debut

Jordan Bardella, the favourite to become France's next president, and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, have made their debut at the Monaco Grand Prix. The couple, who have been dominating headlines in France and Italy, put on a cosy display as they watched the acion unfold at the Monte-Carlo circuit.

Their romance has sparked speculation about how it could shape Bardella's public image as he positions himself for a possible Elysee bid .

Their romance has sparked speculation about how it could shape Bardella's public image as he positions himself for a possible Elysee bid.

A calculated gamble for France's next president?

The unlikely pairing has fuelled speculation in French media about how it could shape Bardella's public image as he positions himself for a possible Elysee bid.

Bardella is the favourite to become France's next president and the protégé of hard-Right leader Marine Le Pen, while Maria Carolina is the influencer heiress to a defunct Italian throne whose sister was once romantically linked to Denmark's future King .

Their romance is also proving to be divisive,with critics suggesting Bardella is 'blurring his image'.

Princess Maria Carolina's high-society connections

Princess Maria Carolina, who is fluent in six languages and was brought up between Rome, Paris and Monte Carlo , attended Harvard and studied at the Istituto Marangoni in Italy, and moves in high circles.

She was also invited to sit in the front rows near François Hollande, the former French president, and Trump at the ceremony marking the reopening of Notre-Dame in December 2024.

Donald Trump invited the princess and her family to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2018, and the family publicly congratulated their 'friend' on his re-election on November 6 2024.

Open questions

Who is the unnamed buyer of the defunct Italian throne that Princess Maria Carolina is the heiress to?

What are the implicaions of Bardella's relationship with a member of a royal family for his presidential campaign?

Will the couple's relationship continue to dominate headlines in France and Italy?