Brigitte Macron, the wife of French president Emmanuel Macron, will not officially be France’s First Lady, according to government officials and reports.

The decision flies in the face of Mr Macron's pre-election promise to make an official position for his wife, a move that turned heads particularly as the government is soon to pass a law preventing MPs from hiring family members as assistants, as part of his own anti-corruption drive.

But after 280,000 people signed a petition over the last two weeks in an attempt to block Mrs Macron from having a salary, it appears the government is back-pedalling.

French government spokesman Christophe Castaner took to Twitter on Monday night to stress that Mrs Macron would not have an official role.