French politician faces backlash after announcing relationship with Italian princess, 22, at Monaco Grand Prix

Jordan Bardella, France's 30-year-old National Rally (RN) leader and potential presidential candidate, has faced backlash after cosying up to Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend.

The populist politician, who grew up on a housing estate in Saint-Denis raised by his working-class mother, was snapped alongside the princess, appearing to enjoy champagne in the VIP area throughout Sunday's race.

The couple were spotted taking selfies and sharing intimate moments among celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Left-wing rivals have seized upon the appearance to attack his credentials as a champion of working-class French voters.

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But backlash could even come from within his own populist right-wing party, with some members reportedly feeling the luxurious relationship threatens to undermine his carefully moulded image.

Princess Maria Carolina's family boasts an estimated fortune of $200 million through her father, Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro.

The prince maintains a claim to the long-defunct throne of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family that governed southern Italy and Sicily from the 18th century until Italian unification in 1860.

The family has remained firmly embedded in elite circles, cultivating relationships with US President Donald Trump, Prince Albert of Monaco, King Frederik of Denmark, Spain's King Felipe and Britain's Prince Michael of Kent.

RN feel Mr Bardella's high-profile and lavish romance with Italian royalty could alienate voters that the party had spent years building.

One RN MP told French outlet Le Parisien: "Hardly anyone cares … but he really shouldn’t keep turning up at events like this."

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Left-wing parties have also scrutinised the relationship, with French Green Party leader Marine Tondelier launching a scathing attack on Facebook, branding Mr Bardella "an aspiring jet-setter whose only love is luxury."

She wrote: "The 'people's candidate' Jordan Bardella was having a blast with the jet set in the VIP area of the Monaco Grand Prix. Publicly displaying himself in a haven of tax evasion and fuel economy sends a political message that even he cannot ignore."

Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party, was equally cutting, telling local media: "Bardella has never been on the side of the workers; he prefers to drink champagne in Monaco with his princess."

Meanwhile, a Right-wing Republican Party strategist said the RN party leader had resorted to "jet-set temptation in the middle of the Lyhanna affair," referring to the suspected murder of an 11-year-old schoolgirl, which left the nation shellshocked.

Mr Bardella's team insisted they were not in the VIP area and denied they were drinking champagne. One ally said the attacks were "unworthy".

Insiders suggested he was attempting to build rapport with the princess's family at the Monte Carlo event, where her parents and sister were also present.

The pair reportedly first encountered one another at the Monaco Grand Prix twelve months ago, when Mr Bardella attended alongside his father, who is said to be a motor racing enthusiast.

Their relationship became the subject of speculation in January after they were spotted departing a Parisian elite gathering together, with further images emerging in April showing them strolling through Corsica.

Mr Bardella is widely regarded as former RN leader Marine Le Pen's successor and a potential future presidential candidate, should the Paris Appeal Court uphold her conviction and bar her from standing.

Ms Le Pen is currently challenging a March 2025 verdict that found her guilty of misusing EU Parliament funds, with a verdict expected on July 7.

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