Reuters

Paris, Feb 2: French President Nicolas Sarkozy married Carla Bruni on Saturday at his official Elysee Palace residence, French radio station RTL reported, quoting several witnesses. A spokesman at Sarkozy's office declined to comment on the report.

Both Sarkozy and Bruni, an Italian supermodel turned pop singer, indicated last month they wanted to marry but made it clear that any wedding would be a private affair far from the eyes of the press.

A French newspaper report on January 14 that they had tied the knot proved false. The RTL report was much more detailed, naming some of the people who it said attended the low key ceremony.

The radio station quoted Bernadette Chirac, wife of previous French President Jacques Chirac, as saying getting married at the Elysee was "a wonderful thing." "I want to express all my best wishes to this new household. She is very, very beautiful," added Bernadette Chirac. It was not immediately clear if she was present at the wedding.

Sarkozy, 53, split up from his second wife Cecilia last October after 11 years of marriage. It was the first time in modern French history a serving president had separated from his wife. Within two months Sarkozy was photographed in public at Paris Disneyland with Bruni, making it clear they were a couple.

The two holidayed together over the Christmas period and Sarkozy's popularity ratings took a pounding with French voters complaining he was concentrating too much on his personal life and not enough on affairs of state.

Bruni, 40, has previously been linked with rock stars Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, as well as U S businessman Donald Trump. She has a son from a previous relationship, while Sarkozy has two grown-up sons from his first marriage, and a third son from his marriage to Cecilia.