Walking in his father’s footsteps: Justin Trudeau becomes only the second EVER Canadian PM whose marriage has ended while in office – 39 years after dad Pierre split from his mom

• The 15th prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau died in 2000 at age 80, decades before his separation from his wife of six years Margaret Trudeau
• Margaret would divorce her husband some seven years after their separation, during Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s final year in office
• History has now repeated itself as Justin Trudeau’s 18-year marriage came apart Wednesday

Justin Trudeau is the first prime minister to go through a separation in office since his father Pierre’s split from his mom in 1977. 

The 15th prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau died in 2000 at age 80, decades after his sudden separation from his wife of six years, Margaret Trudeau.

Margaret would go on to divorce her husband in 1984 some seven years after their separation, during Prime Minister Pierre’s final year in office.

History has now repeated itself as son Justin’s 18-year relationship with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, 48, came tumbling down Wednesday with their sudden separation.

The shock announcement offered an abrupt end to what had been a prominent political power couple over the course of the past eight years, and comes as many continue to speculate whether Trudeau, 51, will be running for a fourth term in 2025.

Justin Trudeau is the first prime minister to go through a separation in office since his father’s split with his mom in 1977, following his sudden split with wife Sophie Wednesday

The 15th prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau died in 2000 at age 80, decades after his sudden separation from his wife of six years at the time, the much younger Margaret Trudeau

Now set to follow his father’s legacy, the liberal politician for the next year will have to brave the duration of his remaining term on his own – while also juggling a strained family life. 

His parents’ story is eerily similar. 

Then the leader of the country’s Liberal Party – and a sort of political star who inspired a period of ‘Trudeaumania’ in the late 60s – Pierre Trudeau secretly married Margaret Trudeau in 1971, she was 22 and he was 51. 

They met on the island of Tahiti when Margaret was just 18, with the late Trudeau later recalling: ‘I found her eyes extraordinarily beautiful.’

They went on to marry in a traditional ceremony in North Vancouver, and spent the subsequent weekend skiing in Whistler. 

The official honeymoon took place aboard a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, and the pair would days later return to Ottawa to face the court of public opinion following their whirlwind romance.

Occurring when Trudeaumania was at its height, the union left countless ‘infatuated young women’ heartbroken, with the charismatic poster boy of the Liberal Party now off the market, newspapers wrote at the time.

Citing Margaret’s freeform appearance and flowing brown hair, journalists wrote how these woman were left devastated by the playboy’s newfound love with an ‘unknown flower child.’

Nine months later, Justin – who in 40 years would first follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming the country’s 23rd prime minister – was born, spurring Pierre, still a few years later from his first term, handed out cigars to reporters who outside the Ottawa hospital where the future politician was born.

In the years that followed, the family – including Justin – found themselves increasingly in the public eye.

Then the leader of the country’s Liberal Party – and a sort of political star who inspired a period of ‘Trudeaumania’ in the late 60s – Pierre Trudeau secretly married Margaret Trudeau in 1971, she was 22 and he was 51

Three-months pregnant at the time with the eventual prime minister, Margaret is seen with Pierre later that year while touring Moscow’s Red Square in Russia. In the years that followed, the family – including Justin – found themselves increasingly in the public eye, and their marriage would eventually flame out six years later

During their marriage, much young Margaret rose eyebrows – with the young 20-something constantly singing songs of praise about her husband to the press, even stating that he ‘taught me a lot about loving.’ She later said she felt ‘unfulfilled’ as the prime minister’s wife

Margaret, in particular, rose eyebrows – with the young 20-something constantly singing songs of praise about her husband to the press, even stating at one point that he ‘taught me a lot about loving.’

In 1974, while the couple was vacationing Venezuela, Margaret proposed a toast and sang a song she had written herself for the South American country’s president’s wife.

The apparent differences between the couple culminated in a seven-year-separation that began in 1977, about a year into the politician’s third term in office. 

At the time, a Prime Minister’s Office letterhead-laden notice read: ‘Pierre and Margaret Trudeau announce that because of Margaret’s wishes they shall begin living separate and apart. 

‘Margaret relinquishes all privileges as the wife of the Prime Minister and wishes to leave the marriage and pursue an independent career. Pierre will have custody of their three sons giving Margaret generous access to them. 

‘Pierre accepts Margaret’s decision with regret and both pray that their separation will lead to a better relationship between themselves.’

In the wake of the sudden announcement, many theorized  the 29-year age gap between the two spurred their separation.

In a later interview with the The Globe and Mail in 1982, Margaret confirmed these theories, adding that she had trouble adjusting to life at 24 Sussex, where she said she cut off from her friends and her interests by security.

Trudeau and wife Sophie (pictured at a Canada Day event in Ottawa on July 1) announced their separation on Wednesday after 18 years of marriage

They vowed to ‘remain a close family with deep love and respect for one another and for everything they had built’

Justin and Sophie in a photo shared by Sophie to mark their anniversary. Their split serves as the second in the history of the Canadian prime minister’s office

She also revealed that she felt frustration toward her then husband, for his constant devotion and never-ending work as Canada’s head of state.

‘I felt unfulfilled, unhappy, caught in an old-fashioned marriage. I wanted my own life and my own career,’ she told the publication at the time.

In a later interview, she denied that she had cheated on her spouse, addressing rumors about a link to Rolling Stones front man  Mick Jagger after she moved to New York to pursue a career as a photographer following their split.

‘It was vile innuendo and suggestion – absolutely distasteful,’ Margaret sniped in an interview with the Ladies’ Home Journal.

‘Apparently women aren’t even allowed to talk with a man without the level of being interpreted as sexual.’

At the time, talk swirled that the former first woman had relocated to the US to seek an abortion, since it was still illegal in Canada at the time. Margaret, who now lives in Montreal, has vehemently denied those unfounded allegations.

Six years after their separation, in 1983, Margaret, then 35, filed for divorce, citing the long-term separation. They divorce was official by April 1984, a month before Pierre finished his fourth and final term in office.

Just weeks later, Margaret remarried, wedding Ottawa businessman Fried Kemper. Prior to that, Margaret had several flings with movie stars Jack Nicholson and Ryan O’Neal, which she later detailed in two autobiographies, Beyond Reason and Consequences.

In his own memoir, Justin – who in 2014 said his own marriage ‘isn’t perfect’ – reflected on the divorce, which was finalized when he was just entering adolescence.

‘What I felt instead was a sense of diminished self-worth,’ the politician remembered

‘A part of me thought I should have been reason enough for her to stay.’

History would then repeat itself early Wednesday, when Trudeau announced the separation on Instagram. 

His office also released a statement to confirm they had reached a legal agreement and reveal that the pair will remain amicable, holidaying together soon with their three kids. 

The spokesman added that Sophie has since moved out of the family home to another residence in Ottawa, and that the pair had ‘worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken.’

‘{They] will continue to do so moving forward,’ the statement added.

Canada’s Globe and Mail reports that the pair will share custody of their three children. 

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