Traditionally, France has had strict privacy laws -- especially for politicians. But that seems to have changed.
Last year, photographs of Royal in a turquoise bikini graced the cover of the magazine Closer, and another magazine, VSD, published beach photographs of Royal and her rival Nicolas Sarkozy under the headline 'Battle under the sun.'
'Like Nicolas Sarkozy, she has skilfully exploited a sudden boom in "la presse people", as celebrity magazines are known, even inviting photographers into the maternity ward after she gave birth to one of her children,' wrote The Times of London last year about Royal.
'It had the desired effect. In a poll for the magazine FHM, her countrymen voted Royal the sixth sexiest woman in the world,' the newspaper added.
Photograph: Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images
Also see: 'Lots of people are unhappy in France'
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