Carla Bruni on cover of Vanity Fair

Carla Bruni graces cover of Vanity Fair

She may have had past liaisons with Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, but it appears Carla Bruni is working wonders for her new French President husband, Nicolas Sarkozy, by appearing on the cover of the latest issue of Vanity Fair.

Sarkozy was facing growing criticism over his policies and stormy divorce, but now it seems that his recent marriage to the new First Lady has pushed his popularity up the polls.

Bruni appears on the cover of Vanity Fair looking demure in riding breaches and boots, seated on a lavish sofa with the cover line 'Carla Bruni: The New Jackkie O? How France (and its President) Fell For Its Enchanted First Lady'.

Bruni has been commended for her sense of style in her new role as Sarkozy's wife. So much so that a visit to Britain earlier in the year with the French President saw Bruni take the headlines with her fashion flair, eclipsing her husband's attempts to build relations with Gordon Brown.

The Vanity Fair shoot sees Bruni pose on the roof of the Élysée Palace wearing a striking red gown and just to prove her fashion credentials, the interview reveals how Karl Lagerfeld holds the First Lady in great esteem.

'She's imaginative, clever, educated. She knows how to behave, he said. 'She speaks many languages. It must be an embarrassment for the wives of other heads of state to see this beautiful creature who can wear anything and speak like that.

'She was full of life and wit. She was beyond polite… So many, like Linda and Christy, had periods of being moody and difficult. She was always perfect.'

Despite Bruni's previous relationships with rock stars, the First Lady says that she has absolutely no regrets. 'It's not that I had a lot of lovers,' Carla says. 'It's that I never hide them. It's a different thing. I have not one day of regret.'