受奥朗德与瓦莱丽分手影响 白宫报废300份国宴邀请函

The White House has discreetly destroyed hundreds of embossed invitations to a state dinner honouring François Hollande because they included a reference to his now former partner.

President Barack Obama's aides have struggled to keep up with the French leader's chaotic personal life after he was caught having an affair with an actress and broke up with long-time girlfriend Valérie Trierweiler.

After scrapping the first 300 invites, the Americans were left wondering whether to include the name of Mr Hollande's new mistress, according to The New York Times.

It was eventually settled that the French leader would be travelling solo to Washington, ending the nerve-racking uncertainty for the White House's protocol officers.

The decision will spare Michelle Obama from a day of tea and local visits, which is usually how she entertains foreign leader's spouses while her husband holds bilateral talks.

Instead, Mr Obama and Mr Hollande will today go to Monticello, the Virginia estate of Thomas Jefferson, who was one of America's first ambassadors to Paris before being elected president.

The two presidents will hold a joint press conference tomorrow [TUES], where Mr Hollande may face the indignity of being questioned about his affair while standing next to the world's most powerful man.

During a London press conference with David Cameron, Mr Hollande was has asked by a British reporter whether his "private life has made France an international joke". He declined to answer.

It is not the first time that a French leader's personal life has caught the White House off guard. In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy abruptly announced he was divorcing his second wife, Cécilia Attias, just weeks before a visit to Washington.

Among the guests at Tuesday's state dinner will be Christine Lagarde, the French head of the International Monetary Fund, and actor Bradley Cooper, who speaks fluent French.

法国总统奥朗德1月底宣布与“第一女友”瓦莱丽分手，而白宫在此前就为他本月的访美之行印发了提及瓦莱丽的国宴邀请函。据英国《每日电讯报》2月9日报道，白宫为了跟上奥朗德私生活步伐，不得不报废了数百份国宴邀请函。

据《纽约时报》报道，在销毁300份邀请函后，白宫还在为要不要在新的邀请函上加上奥朗德新欢的名字而烦恼。奥朗德的新女友朱莉•加耶是一名演员，于1月初浮出水面，两人已经维持了近两年的地下情。

奥朗德最终确定单独访美，美国“第一夫人”米歇尔也因此省出一天时间，通常她需要在丈夫奥巴马与外国领导人举行双边会晤时陪伴对方的配偶。

奥朗德与奥巴马将于当地时间11日举行联合资讯发布会，预计届时他将被问及私生活。在此前与卡梅伦举行的资讯发布会上，一名英国记者问奥朗德，是否“他的私生活让法国成为国际笑柄”，他拒绝回答。

奥朗德不是第一位让白宫措手不及的法国总统。2007年，前总统萨科齐在访美前几周宣布与第二任妻子塞西莉亚•阿蒂亚斯离婚，也让白宫乱了阵脚。