When it's a May-December romance between some of the biggest names in politics, we're dying
to know what makes them click!
Is it the money?
The power?
The prison jumpsuit?
Well, just like these couples, you're old enough to decide for yourself!
Ronald and Nancy Reagan
Former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy's love story was one for the books.
As Vogue reported, back in 1949 Nancy was working as an actor when her name was incorrectly
added to a watchlist of communist sympathizers in Hollywood.
And about that, Nancy contacted the president of the Screen Actors Guild — who, at the
time, was none other than Ronald Reagan.
"Well at that point, I just wanted to meet Ronald Reagan."
The couple went for dinner, and the rest is history.
Despite their 10-year age gap, they soon got hitched in 1952.
Along with three kids from his previous marriage, Ronald and Nancy went on to welcome two children
of their own, Patti and Ron Jr.
But even with a large family in tow, the couple still had eyes for each other.
In a letter Ronald once wrote to Nancy, detailed in "The Triumph of Nancy Reagan," he said,
"What is really important is that having fulfilled our responsibilities to our offspring we haven't
been careless with the measure that is ours — namely what we are to each other."
Their marriage lasted 52 years, until Ronald Reagan died in 2004.
Nancy passed away in 2016.
Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Wangchuck was still a prince when he met commoner Jetsun Pema
at a picnic.
According to World of Buzz, she was just 7 years old back then — and told the 17-year-old
prince she wanted to marry him.
Allegedly Jetsun didn't even know she was speaking to a royal.
She then enrolled at Regent's University London where she ran into Jigme again, who had by
then become king.
He remembered her, and when she was 21 and he was 31, they got married.
The day after their wedding, King Jigme said,
"I have been waiting for quite some time to get married.
But it doesn't matter when you get married as long as it is to the right person.
I am certain I am married to the right person."
They welcomed their first son in 2016 and their second in 2020.
It appears this royal business is a family affair, too.
Jetsun's sister and brother married into the king's family as well.
Back when Jaqueline Bouvier was working for the Washington Times-Herald, friends invited
her to a dinner with John Kennedy.
The meet-cute was a hit, and Kennedy later told a friend, via "All Too Human: The Love
Story of Jack and Jackie,"
"I've never met anyone like her.
She's different from any girl I know."
The couple dated for two years before John popped the question with what Vogue reported
as a "2.88-carat diamond and 2.84-carat emerald" ring.
They married in 1953, when John was 36 and Jackie was 24.
While their love story ultimately turned to tragedy in 1963 and wove itself into the fabric
of American history, their romance inspired millions.
According to the New York Times, Jackie told John just a year before his death,
"If anything happens, we’re all going to stay right here with you.
I just want to be with you, and I want to die with you, and the children do, too — than
live without you."
The Italian-born Carla Bruni moved to France as a child and launched a successful career
as a model, working for Guess, Christian Dior, and Givenchy.
She then launched a musical career, producing several successful albums.
But her life would change in a big way when she met then-president of France, Nicolas
Sarkozy, at a dinner party in 2007.
According to The Sun, sparks flew and they got married four months later.
With that, Bruni became the First Lady of France.
He was 53, and she was 40.
The former model later recalled via The Guardian,
"I was seduced by his physique and his intelligence.
He has five or six brains that are remarkably irrigated."
The two went on to welcome their daughter Giulia together, and they both have children
from previous relationships.
While they were clearly wild for each other, Bruni had some surprising things to say about
marriage.
She told Figaro Madame Magazine in 2007,
"I get crazily bored by monogamy.
I'm monogamous from time to time, but I prefer polygamy and polyandry.
Love lasts a long time, but burning desire -– two or three weeks."
The couple is still going strong, proving that whatever their arrangement is, it's working
for them!
American journalist Glenn Greenwald met Brazilian politician David Miranda when he was vacationing
in Rio de Janeiro.
And as the story goes, according to the Sun, Miranda "accidentally knocked over [Greenwald's]
drink," while playing beach volleyball.
And that's how they met.
Miranda was 19 and Greenwald was 37 at the time.
The couple went on to get married and adopt two kids in 2017.
They've also rescued a notable 24 dogs — and even opened their own rescue shelter in Brazil.
Prior to meeting his mate, Miranda was struggling to land a career.
But thanks to Greenwald's encouragement, he completed his education.
And in 2019, he was named one of Time's "Next Generation Leaders."
Miranda was also one of the first openly gay members of the city council in Rio.
Out magazine called him "Rio's Gay Crusader."
"It is hard, but at the same time, I'm speaking for those who didn't have a voice before."
The two got married back in 2005 and are still happily hitched today.
Donald and Melania Trump met at a party in 1998 when Melania was 28 and Trump was 52.
As the BBC noted, when Trump asked for her number, Melania shot back,
"I am not giving you my number.
You give me yours, and I will call you."
"We had the great chemistry the first time."
"We've had great chemistry ever since."
They were married in 2005, where the bride wore Christian Dior.
When Melania became the first lady, there was a movement centered around the hashtag
"Free Melania."
But as time went on, it became clear she didn't need any help from anyone.
Author Mary Jordan described the couple's unique relationship, writing in her book,
"The Art of Her Deal,"
"She's the first call he makes after a speech or a rally, because he trusts her –- he
doesn't trust many people -– and she watches on TV.
So they have a very unusual relationship, but there is a bond there.
[...] He's got his own life and he spends a lot of time apart from her.
And she's absolutely fine with that."
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, do enjoy a notable age gap.
But in this case, she's 24 years older than him.
And they've been happily married since 2007.
In 2017, when Emmanuel was the frontrunner in the French election, he was 39 and Brigitte
was 64.
The Washington Post noted that women in Paris were thrilled, with one saying,
"It's normal to see men with younger women.
So it's rather great to see the opposite."
Brigitte had once been a drama teacher at Emmanuel's high school.
Back then, she was married with three kids, and Emmanuel was just 15 at the time, according
to the Sun.
His parents sent him away to school in Paris when they saw a budding bond between him and
Brigitte.
Years later, though, the couple connected.
Eva Duarte, best known as Evita, was born in Argentina and aspired to be an actor.
She landed roles on stage and in film, but she hit it big on a radio show.
In 1944, in the wake of an earthquake, secretary of labor Juan Perón, gathered stars for a
fundraiser gala.
Eva attended — and met the love of her life.
They married in 1945, when Eva was 26 and Juan was 50.
Juan eventually became minister of war, the vice president, and finally, the President
of Argentina in 1946.
For her part, Eva was deeply committed to social welfare and was a vocal advocate for
women's rights.
She even announced a run as vice president alongside her husband in 1951.
But due to her failing health, she was forced to bow out.
Eva died in 1952 at the age of 32.
Senator John Hickenlooper made headlines in 2019 for his presidential bid.
He served as the mayor of Denver, before becoming governor of Colorado, then making history
as the oldest first-term Senator in 2020.
But just four years earlier, the politician married Robin Pringle in 2016.
He was 63 and she was 37, but Robin was unbothered by the age gap.
As she told The Denver Post,
"I think anybody who actually knows me thinks I'm older than he is, so it doesn't actually
phase most people once they spend an hour with us."
Late former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was married three times.
But his last one is the partnership we're looking at here.
Mandela fell in love with Graça Machel and the couple tied the knot in 1998.
She was 52 and he was 80.
While that might seem like decades in differences, it was perfect for Graça.
She told CNN,
"He is simply a wonderful husband.
We met in life at [a] time [when] we were both settled.
We were grown up, we were settled, we knew the value of a companion, of a partner.
[…] And we enjoy every single day as if it is the last day.
Because of that, it has been wonderful to have him as a husband."
"Believe that love is possible."
Mandela died in 2013, at the age of 95.
Then-Vice President of Brazil, Michel Temer, became the president in 2016 after the impeachment
of former President Dilma Rousseff.
But he garnered even more headlines for the 42-year age gap between himself and his wife,
Marcela.
Michel was 60 when they started dating — and Marcela was just 19.
They married one year into their relationship, and have been happily hitched ever since.
Marcela even has a tattoo of Michel's name, according to CNN.
But when Michel became president, the situation got tense for the couple.
Rousseff was being impeached by a predominantly male congress, and the Brazilian press — including
outlets like Veja magazine — lauded the incoming First Lady, Marcela, as a, quote,
"beautiful, demure housewife."
Media coverage slammed the first female president of Brazil — and praised Marcela — sparking
international outrage.
While the two women arguably occupied much different roles within the political realm,
Brazilian activist Sonia Correa offered her opinion on the disparity within the media
narrative, telling The World,
"This is to contrast Dilma [Rousseff].
This is how 'Veja' aligns with many of the guys that have taken over power at this tragic
moment.
Part of them are very happy with the idea of returning women to their natural places,
so to speak."
Former governor of Louisiana, the late Edwin Edwards, and his wife Trina were 50 years
apart in age.
And they met in a rather unique way.
According to The Advocate, Edwin was in prison for racketeering charges, serving over eight
years.
Meanwhile, Trina had reportedly discovered a biography about him and read it, cover to
cover.
He recalled to Fox News,
"I was in the last year of my prison term [...] and after she read the book, she became
interested in my career and asked to visit me.
And I arranged for her to visit me and after that we got to know each other well and she
came to visit me every visiting day thereafter."
Once he got out of the pen, the two got married and welcomed their son Eli in 2013.
They even went on to star on their own reality show, "The Governor's Wife," which ran for
one season.
"The fair maiden in this story is me.
I'm 'The Governor's Wife.'"
As Trina recalled to Fox,
"[The reality show] follows us from the time we decided to have a child.
We went through the IVF process, so it follows along with the IVF process and I think the
season finale is actually when I gave birth to my son.
So it follows the entire pregnancy, which was ... pretty rough."
Edwin died in 2021 at the age of 93.
According to The Advocate, he left his four older children from a previous relationship
out of his will, bestowing all of his assets upon 8-year-old Eli.
As his biographer, Leo Honeycutt, noted to the outlet,
"[Edwin's] love for Eli was off the charts.
The kid loved being with him, joking and laughing.
[…] That probably kept him going as long as it did."
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