The couple had spoken candidly in the past about the difficulties in their relationship and in recent years they have been seen together less often in public.
Trudeau, 51, and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, 48, married in May 2005 and have three children, ages 15, 14 and 9. On their anniversary in 2020, he described her as “my rock, my partner and my best friend”.
For Trudeau, there are also painful historical parallels. Her father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, separated from his wife, Margaret, in 1977 while he was in power.
The evolution has been one of Trudeau’s biggest personal crises since becoming prime minister in 2015, especially as he often stresses the importance of family life.
The couple made the announcement a week after Trudeau unveiled a massive cabinet reshuffle aimed at reviving the fortunes of his Liberal Party, which is trailing in the polls. Aides said he was determined to lead the Liberals in the next election, which must be held by October 2025.
“Sophie and I would like to share that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to go our separate ways,” Trudeau said on Instagram. Grégoire Trudeau posted an almost identical message on his own Instagram account.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, one of Trudeau’s closest allies, would brief cabinet members later Wednesday.
The CBC also said Trudeau would likely speak publicly about the separation this week.
Trudeau’s office said the two signed a legal agreement, stressing that the couple would focus on raising their children. The family will go on vacation together next week.
Grégoire Trudeau will move into separate accommodation in Ottawa, but plans to spend a lot of time with the children at Rideau Cottage, the prime minister’s official residence, to ensure they receive as normal an upbringing as possible, a source says. close to the location.
The source, who requested anonymity due to the extreme sensitivity of the situation, said the couple would have joint custody of the children.
Media darlings
Grégoire Trudeau, a gender equality advocate who studied business at university, was working as a journalist when she met Trudeau in 2003. They married two years later.
Trudeau was just 43 when he became prime minister at the end of 2015 and the well-dressed couple quickly caught the attention of media around the world.
In October 2015, the New York Post dubbed her “the world’s sexiest first lady”.
Vogue magazine published a glowing profile of the two in its January 2016 issue, along with photos of them kissing. A lengthy magazine article on Trudeau said he “shocks some with his public displays of affection for his wife.”
In the early years after Trudeau took office, he and Sophie were often seen together at social functions and on trips abroad. In February 2018, during a visit to India, they both wore colorful costumes almost every day, drawing derisive comments at home.
Trudeau, however, made it clear even before becoming prime minister that the two had faced challenges, writing in his 2014 autobiography Common Ground that “our marriage is not perfect, and we have had ups and downs difficult”.
In recent years, Grégoire Trudeau has reduced joint appearances with her husband and the signs of stress were clear.
On their wedding anniversary last year, she said in a social media post that “we’ve been through sunny days, heavy storms and everything and it’s not over.”
She continued, “long-term relationships are difficult in many ways.”
The two traveled to London in May for King Charles’ coronation and were together when US President Joe Biden visited in late March.
As recently as Monday, Trudeau was still wearing his wedding ring.
