This is the moment a 15-year-old Emmanuel Macron kissed his 40-year-old teacher - two years before he declared he wanted to marry her.

Pictures show the French presidential favourite acting on stage as a teenager before leaning in to kiss Brigitte Trogneux - 25 years his senior - on the cheek after a theatrical performance in May 1993.

Miss Trogneux, now 64, was once the drama coach of centre-Left candidate Macron, now 39, who won first place in the first round of the presidential elections. They went on to marry in 2007.

Speaking of the moment they first met, the glamorous grandmother of seven who could become France's first lady, said: 'He [Macron] came to audition for a part in the play and I watched him. I just found him incredible. He had such presence.'

She went on: 'Without doubt he wasn't like the others. He was always with the teachers. He simply wasn't an adolescent.'

Footage of the obvious closeness between the middle aged drama teacher and the teenage future presidential favourite comes as a clip emerged of Miss Trogneux appearing to suggest her husband is good in bed.

Footage captures the moment a 15-year-old Emmanuel Macron (left) kissed his 40-year-old teacher (right) - two years before he declared he wanted to marry her

Video shows the French presidential favourite acting on stage before leaning in to kiss Brigitte Trogneux - 25 years his senior - on the cheek after a theatrical performance in May 1993

Miss Trogneux, now 64, was once the drama coach of centre-Left candidate Macron, now 39, who won first place in the first round of the presidential elections

Footage from May 1993 shows Macron acting on stage and taking a bow after the performance

A reporter asked her last year whether Macron is a good politician, to which she replies: 'There's isn't an area I have found that he's not good at...'

Miss Trogneux last night stood by her husband waving and grinning broadly after he won first place ahead of National Front leader Marine Le Pen in the first round of the country's presidential elections.

Speaking after France's two main parties were kicked out of the election race, Mr Macron, who achieved 23.75 per cent of the vote compared to Le Pen's 21.53 per cent, said: 'We have turned a page in French political history.'

The result of the second round vote on May 7 will have major implications for Britain and its departure from the EU. Miss Le Pen wants to completely renegotiate France's relationship with Brussels while Mr Macron wants closer links.

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte embrace as it emerged he has advanced to the run-off against Marine Le Pen

The relationship started after Mr Macron acted in Miss Trogneux's theatre pieces when he was aged just 18 at a private Jesuit school in Amiens, northern France.

Macron and Trogneux are likely to be the next residents at the Elysee Palace with Macron becoming the youngest leader of France in modern history.

They first met when Mr Macron was 15 – and he later made a startling promise to his teacher.

'At the age of 17, Emmanuel said to me, 'Whatever you do, I will marry you!',' Miss Trogneux told Paris Match magazine last year.

The relationship started after Mr Macron acted in Miss Trogneux's theatre pieces when he was aged just 18 at a private Jesuit school in Amiens, northern France.

Then Brigitte Auziere, a married mother of three, she was supervising the drama club. Mr Macron, a literature lover who wanted to be a novelist, was a member.

He later moved to Paris for his last year of high school. At that time, he recalled, 'we called each other all the time, we spent hours on the phone, hours and hours on the phone'.

For her part, Miss Trogneux recalled in a television documentary: 'Little by little, he overcame all my resistances in an unbelievable way, with patience.'

Emmanuel Macron, who heads political movement En Marche! (Onwards!) with his wife Brigitte Trogneux

Mr Macron had told how he spent hours and hours on the phone to his future wife after moving to Paris for his last year of high school

She also said: 'He wasn't a teenager. He had a relationship of equals with other adults.'

She eventually moved to the French capital to join him, and divorced her husband. They have been together ever since.

The couple finally married in 2007 – although she did not take his name – and Miss Trogneux is now campaigning by his side. 'I don't hide her,' Mr Macron told a French TV channel this week. 'She's here in my life, she has always been.'

During a speech last month, the pair kissed on stage with Mr Macron telling supporters: 'I owe her an enormous amount because she has contributed to make me the person I am.'

He told of how his wife would never be 'behind him', adding: 'If I'm elected – no, sorry, when we are elected – she will be there, with a role and a place.'

Mr Macron studied Philosophy at Paris Nanterre University, and attended France's elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration for graduate school.

Miss Trogneux is pictured with her daughter Laurence Auziere-Jourdan ahead of her husband speech to supporters

The couple are likely to be the next residents at the Elysee Palace with Mr Macron becoming the youngest leader of France in modern history

After working as a public servant for a few years, he became an investment banker at Rothschild.

He rapidly climbed the career ladder, earning millions, before becoming an economic advisor to Francois Hollande's presidency in 2012 and then economy minister two years later.

In a further colourful development, in February Mr Macron was unexpectedly forced to deny a gay extramarital affair. Political rivals had alleged he was backed by a 'gay lobby'.

Mr Macron laughed off rumours of a homosexual relationship with Radio France chief executive Mathieu Gallet, during a meeting with activists from his En Marche movement during the campaign.

'If you're told I lead a double life with Mr Gallet it's because my hologram has escaped,' he said, in a reference to a rival candidate making an earlier appearance as a hologram.

A spokesman for Mr Macron confirmed the comments were 'a clear denial of the rumours'.

Macron is the clear favourite to become France's youngest-ever president after topping Sunday's ballot with 23.75 percent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen on 21.53 percent. A map shows how people voted across France

Macron is clear favourite to become France's youngest president after topping Sunday's ballot with 23.75 per cent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen on 21.53 per cent, according to final results.

Round two of the bitter fight got under way today with Le Pen's top aide launching a stinging attack on her opponent.

'Emmanuel is not a patriot. He sold off national companies. He criticised French culture,' Florian Philippot, deputy leader of Le Pen's National Front told BFM TV, saying she and Macron held completely different visions of France.

Philippot called the independent centrist and former investment banker 'arrogant' and said that in Sunday night's speech acclaiming his move into the May 7 second round 'he was speaking as if he had won already'.

'That was disdainful towards the French people,' Phillipot said. Macron's victory dinner celebrations at Paris's upscale Rotonde restaurant amounted to 'bling-bling biz,' he said.

Brigitte Trogneux is pictured alongside her daughter Tiphaine Auziere as she listens to her husband, Emmanuel Macron, delivering a speech at the Grand Palais in Lille, France, in January

Emmanuel Macron's stepdaughter Tiphaine Auziere was pictured campaigning earlier this month

Miss Trogneux (left with her daughter) married Macron in 2007 – although she did not take his name

According to France's Interior Ministry, 46 million people voted in the first stage of the elections which knocked the traditional Right and Left parties out of the running for the first time in 60 years.

'For months and again today I've heard the doubts, the anger and the fears of the French people. Their desire for change too,' Macron told thousands of flag-waving, cheering supporters in Paris on Sunday.

He pledged to unite 'patriots' behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and 'the threat of nationalists' as mainstream political leaders urged voters to back him and keep the far-right away from the Elysee Palace.

Polls suggest the ex-investment banker would beat Le Pen easily in the second round run-off on May 7, which will not feature a candidate from the traditional left or right for the first time in six decades.

However, EU Economy Commissioner Pierre Moscovici warned that although pro-Europe Macron won the first round, Le Pen is still a contender.

Moscovici, a former French socialist finance minister and now EU commissioner for financial affairs, told reporters Macron's victory was welcome but there was 'bad news' too.

'Le Pen qualified for the second round; she may have scored less in percentage terms than was expected but it is frightening that she still got 7.6 million votes,' he said.

'It is too early yet to heave a sigh of relief, the election is not over,' he said.

Moscovici said he believed Le Pen would not be the next French president but feared that she could still garner about 40 percent of the vote.

'That would show a country deeply divided and we must remain on guard - We must not claim victory yet, we must fight against the false claims of the FN,' he said.

Macron 'will have my vote,' he said, adding that his victory was essential to the future of France and Europe.

'The European Commission is ready to work with the new French president on how we can re-launch Europe,' he said.

Despite serving as economy minister in the outgoing Socialist government of Francois Hollande, Macron casts himself as a political 'outsider', who only recently formed his movement 'En Marche!' ('On the move').

Macron (pictured celebrating the result at a restaurant last night) is clear favourite to become France's youngest president after topping Sunday's ballot with 23.75 per cent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen on 21.53 per cent, according to final results

Macron pledged to unite 'patriots' behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and 'the threat of nationalists' as mainstream political leaders urged voters to back him and keep the far-right away from the Elysee Palace

'The challenge is to break completely with the system which has been unable to find solutions to the problems of our country for more than 30 years,' Macron said, already eyeing crucial parliamentary elections in June.

The outcome capped an extraordinary campaign in a deeply divided and demoralised France, which has been rocked by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and remains stuck with low economic growth.

Le Pen, who has hardened her anti-immigration and anti-Europe rhetoric over the past week, hailed a 'historic vote' in front of her supporters, adding: 'The first stage has been passed.'

The French vote was being closely watched as a bellwether for populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US President and Britain's vote to leave the EU.

FORMER BANKER WHO TOOK ON THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT At 39, Emmanuel Macron is hotly tipped to become the youngest ever president of France. Without the backing of a mainstream political party, the former merchant banker is expected by pollsters to defeat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in a face-off next month. Macron is a former member of the Socialist Party, but became an independent politician in 2009. He was a member of outgoing president Francois Hollande's staff, and served as an economic minister under the government of Manuel Valls. In April last year he founded the En Marche! movement, meaning On The Move, saying he wanted it to unite the left and right Macron sparked controversy when he branded France's legacy in Algeria 'a crime against humanity'. In April last year he founded the En Marche! movement, meaning On The Move, saying he wanted it to unite the left and right. During the campaign, a lot of focus has fallen on his relationship with wife Brigitte Trogneux, who at 64 is 25 years his senior. The pair met when Mrs Trogneux, then married with three children, was his French and drama teacher at his high school in Amiens, northern France. In February Mr Macron laughed off rumours of a gay extramarital affair after political rivals alleged he was backed by a 'gay lobby'. He denied claims of a relationship with Radio France chief executive Mathieu Gallet. The candidate said, making reference to rival Jean-Luc Melenchon appearing as a hollogram, quipped: 'If you're told I lead a double life with Mr Gallet it's because my hologram has escaped.' A spokesman for Mr Macron confirmed the comments were 'a clear denial of the rumours'. Macron is a former member of the Socialist Party, but became an independent politician in 2009 Mr Macron stated after yesterday's vote: 'From today I want to build a majority for a government and for a new transformation. 'It will be made up of new faces and new talent in which every man and woman can have a place.' Mr Macron studied Philosophy at Paris Nanterre University, and attended France's elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration for graduate school. After working as a public servant, he became an investment banker at Rothschild, before becoming an economic . He rapidly climbed the career ladder, earning millions, before becoming an economic advisor to Francois Hollande's presidency in 2012 and then economy minister two years later. Advertisement

Throughout the campaign, Macron insisted France was 'contrarian' - ready to elect a pro-globalisation liberal at a time when right-wing nationalists are making gains around the world.

The euro rose sharply as fears of France pulling out of the single currency and European Union receded and traders eyed a Macron win in the second round.

'Most likely, the French election can mark a turning point for France and Europe,' said analyst Holger Schmieding from Berenberg Bank.

Le Pen follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what came as a political earthquake for France.

Le Pen Senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out.

Throughout the campaign, Macron insisted France was 'contrarian' - ready to elect a pro-globalisation liberal at a time when right-wing nationalists are making gains around the world

Macron has drawn immediate support from his defeated rivals from the Socialists and Republicans

STOCK MARKETS AND EURO SOAR The value of the euro soared around the world last night after a former investment banker and was named as a leading contender to win France's Presidential election. The euro jumped two per cent to more than $1.09 (85p) on Sunday evening - the highest level since November - after independent centrist Emmanuel Macron achieved 23.8 per cent of the votes in the first round. Against the Japanese yen, the Euro also spiked to as high as 120.5 in early trading in Asia Pacific, up by 3.4 per cent. E-mini futures for the S&P 500 climbed 0.8 percent in early trade, while futures for the 10-year U.S. Treasury note sank 22 ticks. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tacked on 0.3 percent, while Japan's Nikkei jumped 1.4 percent as the yen retreated. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen will face Mr Macron in the second round on May 7 after achieving 21.5 per cent of the votes. Investors had feared for the euro's future if one of the far-left candidates had gotten through to fight Le Pen. Unlike his competitor, Mr Macron wants closer links with Europe and has vowed to reinforce France's commitment to the EU and Euro. Marine Le Pen is keen to get France out of the EU and return to the franc. Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at Allianz, said: 'While markets had deemed a Le Pen-Macron (run-off) as the most likely outcome, there was an element of uncertainty. 'Now that this has been lifted, there will be a relief rally, bolstered by how quickly the mainstream candidates... have endorsed Macron, the market's favorite.' Defeated Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon, Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and defeated right-wing candidate Francois Fillon all urged voters to rally behind Macron in the second round. Markets had also been nervous of the possibility that far-left contender Jean-Luc Melenchon might make the run-off. 'On the face of it, this looks like a rebuke to populism, and a solid vote in favour of a more solidly integrated Europe,' said Karl Schamotta, director of global product and market strategy at Cambridge Global Payments in Toronto. Sunday's sharp moves point to an unwinding of bets taken in the past few days as traders turned defensive ahead of the vote. Prices for protection against wild swings in stocks, bonds and the euro surged last week ahead of the election as polls tightened and investors fretted that another unforseen election outcome could upend a solid start to the year for risk assets. Advertisement

Though Le Pen came in behind Macron, there was joy at the FN's election party Sunday night in Henin-Beaumont, a former coal mining town in northern France, with outbursts of the Marseillaise national anthem.

Le Pen said the second round would be a battle over France's future, with her vision of a France out of the EU and behind reinforced borders radically different from her opponent's.

'The major issue of this election is runaway globalisation, which is putting our civilisation in danger,' she told supporters.

'Either we continue on the path of complete deregulation, with no borders and no protection... mass immigration and free movement of terrorists... or you choose France,' she added.

Far-right expert Nonna Mayer at Sciences Po university said a Le Pen victory was not impossible, 'but it seems unlikely that she will carry the second round'.

'If she wins, it will obviously be an anti-Europe, protectionist, exclusionist line that wins and which could have troubling consequences for Europe and France,' she added.

Despite Macron's plans to 'relaunch the building of Europe', the combined scores of staunch eurosceptics Le Pen, far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon and nationalist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan add up to around 46 percent.

Macron also drew immediate support from his defeated rivals from the Socialists and Republicans.

Socialist Benoit Hamon, who won a humiliating 6.35 percent, said the left had suffered a 'historic drubbing' but urged voters to keep out Le Pen who he said was 'an enemy of the republic'.

Scandal-hit Republicans candidate Francois Fillon followed suit, saying: 'There is no other choice than voting against the far-right.'

Fillon was seen as a favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife a fictitious job as his parliamentary assistant. He took 19.91 percent of Sunday's vote.

Support for Communist-backed Melenchon, meanwhile, had surged in recent weeks on the back of assured performances in two televised debates.

He got 19.64 percent of the vote, underlining the strength of anti-establishment sentiment.

The vote took place under heavy security after Thursday's killing of a policeman on Paris's Champs-Elysees avenue claimed by the Islamic State group.

With France still under the state of emergency imposed after the Paris attacks of November 2015, around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers were deployed to guard voters.

Thursday's shooting was the latest in a bloody series of attacks that have cost more than 230 lives since 2015.

Nearly 47 million people were eligible to vote in the eurozone's second biggest economy and turnout was high at more than 78 percent.