INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
(Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie said on Wednesday they were separating in an unexpected announcement
their relationship and in recent years were seen less often together in public.Trudeau, 51, and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, 48, were married in
May 2005 and have three children, aged 15, 14 and nine
His father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, separated from his wife, Margaret, in 1977, when he was in office.The development is one
of the biggest personal crises for Trudeau since he became prime minister in 2015, especially since he often stresses the importance of
family life.The couple made the announcement a week after Trudeau unveiled a massive cabinet shuffle in a bid to boost the fortunes of his
Liberal Party, which is trailing in the polls
Gregoire Trudeau posted an almost identical message on her own Instagram account.The Canadian Broadcasting Corp said Public Safety Minister
focus on raising their children
The family will go on vacation together next week.Gregoire Trudeau will be moving into separate accommodation in Ottawa but plans to spend
possible, said a source familiar with the situation.The source, who requested anonymity because of the extreme sensitivity of the situation,
said the couple would have joint custody of the children.MEDIA DARLINGSGregoire Trudeau, an advocate for gender equality who studied
commerce at university, was working as a reporter when she met Trudeau in 2003
They married two years later.Trudeau was only 43 when he became prime minister in late 2015 and the sharply-dressed couple quickly captured
glowing profile of the two in its January 2016 issue, complete with photos of them embracing
after Trudeau took office, he and Sophie were often seen together at social functions and on foreign trips
In February 2018, during a visit to India, the two of them dressed in colorful costumes most days, prompting derisive comments back
home.Trudeau, though, made clear even before he became prime minister that the two had faced challenges, writing in his autobiography Common
joint appearances with her husband and signs of stress were clear.On their wedding anniversary last year, she said in a social media post
President Joe Biden visited in late March.As recently as Monday, Trudeau was still wearing his wedding ring.Source: Reuters--Agencies
