{"id":88718,"date":"2023-08-04T16:00:31","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T20:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&#038;p=88718"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:37:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:37:05","slug":"trudeau-separation-divorce-rare-for-leaders","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/trudeau-separation-divorce-rare-for-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Trudeau separation: Divorce is common for most people, but still rare for political leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-max  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n                    \n                    \n            \n    <div class=\"cu-wideimage relative flex items-center justify-center mx-auto px-8 overflow-hidden md:px-16 rounded-xl not-prose  my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 bg-opacity-50 bg-cover bg-cu-black-50 pt-24 pb-32 md:pt-28 md:pb-44 lg:pt-36 lg:pb-60 xl:pt-48 xl:pb-72\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/conversation-trudeau-separation-1200x900-1.jpg); background-position: 50% 50%;\">\n\n                    <div class=\"absolute top-0 w-full h-screen\" style=\"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.600);\"><\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"relative z-[2] max-w-4xl w-full flex flex-col items-center gap-2 cu-wideimage-image cu-zero-first-last\">\n            <header class=\"mx-auto mb-6 text-center text-white cu-pageheader cu-component-updated cu-pageheader--center md:mb-12\">\n\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold mb-2 text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] cu-pageheader--center text-center mx-auto after:left-px\">\n                        Trudeau separation: Divorce is common for most people, but still rare for political leaders\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                            <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"absolute bottom-0 w-full z-[1]\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 1280 312\">\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M26.412 315.608c-.602-.268-6.655-2.412-13.524-4.769a1943.84 1943.84 0 0 1-14.682-5.144l-2.276-.858v-5.358c0-4.876.086-5.358.773-5.09 1.674.643 21.38 5.84 34.646 9.109 14.682 3.59 28.935 6.858 45.936 10.449l9.874 2.089H57.322c-16.4 0-30.31-.16-30.91-.428ZM460.019 315.233c42.974-10.074 75.602-19.88 132.443-39.867 76.16-26.791 152.063-57.709 222.385-90.663 16.7-7.823 21.336-10.074 44.262-21.273 85.004-41.688 134.719-64.193 195.291-88.413 66.55-26.577 145.2-53.584 194.27-66.765C1258.5 5.626 1281.34 0 1282.24 0c.17 0 .34 27.596.34 61.3v61.299l-2.23.375c-84.7 13.718-165.93 35.955-310.736 84.931-46.494 15.753-65.427 22.076-96.166 32.15-9.102 3-24.814 8.198-34.989 11.574-107.543 35.954-153.008 50.422-196.626 62.639l-6.74 1.876-89.126-.054c-78.135-.054-88.782-.161-85.948-.857ZM729.628 312.875c33.229-10.985 69.248-23.523 127.506-44.207 118.705-42.223 164.596-57.709 217.446-73.302 2.62-.75 8.29-2.465 12.67-3.751 56.19-16.772 126.94-33.597 184.17-43.671 5.07-.91 9.66-1.768 10.22-1.875l.94-.161v170.236l-281.28-.054H719.968l9.66-3.215ZM246.864 313.411c-65.041-2.251-143.047-12.11-208.432-26.256-18.375-3.965-41.73-9.538-42.202-10.074-.171-.214-.257-21.38-.214-47.046l.129-46.618 6.654 3.697c57.313 32.043 118.491 56.531 197.699 79.143 40.313 11.521 83.459 18.058 138.669 21.059 15.584.857 65.685.857 81.14 0 33.744-1.876 61.306-4.93 88.396-9.806 6.396-1.126 11.634-1.983 11.722-1.929.255.375-20.48 7.769-30.999 11.038-28.592 8.948-59.288 15.646-91.873 20.147-26.36 3.59-50.015 5.627-78.35 6.698-15.584.59-55.209.59-72.339-.053Z\"><\/path>\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M-3.066 295.067 32.06 304.1v9.033H-3.066v-18.066Z\"><\/path>\n            <\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n\n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<p>This article is <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/trudeau-separation-divorce-is-common-for-most-people-but-still-rare-for-political-leaders-211024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">republished<\/a> from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. All photos provided by <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Conversation<\/a> from various sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/history\/people\/roderick-phillips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rod Phillips<\/a> is a history professor at Carleton University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/narrations.ad-auris.com\/widget\/the-conversation-canada\/trudeau-separation-divorce-is-common-for-most-people-but-still-rare-for-political-leaders\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the long term, the political impact of the separation or divorce of public figures has tended to reflect prevailing attitudes towards divorce within the general population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter align-right zoomable\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/541124\/original\/file-20230803-17-uvkkeb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/541124\/original\/file-20230803-17-uvkkeb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A black and white photo of a man and woman sitting together in a garden.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Edward, then-Duke of Windsor, and Wallis Simpson at the Chateau de Cande, near Touraine, France on May 7, 1937. Edward would later abdicate the throne to marry Simpson.<\/span><br>\n<span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(AP Photo\/Len Putnam)<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmopolitan.com\/entertainment\/celebs\/a40321966\/royal-divorces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The British royal family is an excellent example<\/a>. Almost a century ago, in the 1930s, divorce was extremely difficult to obtain in most countries and divorced people were widely believed to be unstable and immoral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When King Edward VIII announced he intended to marry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Wallis-Simpson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wallis Simpson<\/a>, a twice-divorced American, he created a crisis within Britain. Simpson&#8217;s divorces were the issue, but the fact that she was American didn&#8217;t help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edward was forced to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/education\/resources\/significant-events\/abdication-of-edward-viii-1936\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">abdicate his throne<\/a> so that he could marry Simpson and the couple lived, effectively in exile, for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since then, <a href=\"https:\/\/academic-accelerator.com\/encyclopedia\/divorce-law-by-country\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">divorce laws in many countries have been liberalized<\/a> and divorce is more an administrative process than a judicial procedure. Divorce is common throughout most societies and there is little stigma attached to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edward was the great uncle of King Charles, who divorced his wife Diana in 1996 when he was still the Prince of Wales following a very public breakup that involved allegations of adultery on both sides. <a href=\"https:\/\/harpersbazaar.com.au\/charles-camilla-wedding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Charles, as a divorc\u00e9, then married Camilla Parker-Bowles, herself divorced<\/a>, and he was crowned king without any objection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter align-center zoomable\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/541126\/original\/file-20230803-27-8vosrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/541126\/original\/file-20230803-27-8vosrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A man and woman wearing crowns and robes look at eachother\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">King Charles and Queen Camilla stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the coronation ceremony in London on May 6, 2023.<\/span><br>\n<span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Stefan Rousseau\/Pool via AP)<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"divorce-can-bring-scrutiny\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Divorce can bring scrutiny<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people are aware of the complexities of relationships, even though it is common to blame one partner more than another. Politics can place peculiar pressure on couples, but this is true of many other professions and it&#8217;s up to individuals to balance their work and family lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although divorces are common among Canadian politicians, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/prime-minister-justin-trudeau-assumes-a-new-role-single-dad-just-like-his-own-father-210938\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">divorced premiers and prime ministers are rare<\/a>. It might be that voters are perceived as likely to penalize a divorced person and make them harder to elect, and there are strong political reasons not to separate or divorce while in office. It directs intense scrutiny on the couple and their behaviour, as well as retrospective analyses of their relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier sensational couple-related events at the federal level include the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/justin-trudeaus-political-foes-should-avoid-capitalizing-on-his-marital-breakdown-210958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">separation and subsequent divorce of Pierre and Margaret Trudeau<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/politics\/ottawa\/peter-mackays-private-life-on-the-public-stage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">very public breakup<\/a> of Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and MP Belinda Stronach in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first was accompanied by scandals and rumours of infidelity, the second was provoked by Stronach crossing the floor to join the Liberals \u2014 a kind of political adultery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"trudeau-separation\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trudeau separation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2023\/08\/02\/trudeaus-split-isnt-outlier-00109512\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">It&#8217;s unlikely that there will be significant public reaction to the separation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gr\u00e9goire Trudeau<\/a>, not least because divorce has become part of the family landscape in Canada. There are about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/443290\/divorced-people-in-canada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three million divorced people in Canada<\/a> and there can be few Canadians without a divorce in their family or among their friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement of the prime minister and Gr\u00e9goire Trudeau&#8217;s separation stressed their ongoing love and respect for each other and the continued integrity of their family. The message was &#8220;nothing to see here&#8221; \u2014 and we can expect to see photographs of them together with their children to reinforce this image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Any political consequences will unfold in the next months. Politicians will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-politics-briefing-jagmeet-singh-expresses-sympathy-for-justin-trudeau\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">express sympathy<\/a> and say that this is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Kmrl385Of4s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">personal matter with no political importance<\/a>, and that it would be improper for them to comment other than to wish the separated couple well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But of course the images of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and the NDP&#8217;s Jagmeet Singh with their wives \u2014 and Trudeau without his \u2014 might resonate for some people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The separation will also reinforce the belief that some people hold that Trudeau is not a nice man. If either is primarily blamed for the separation, it will almost certainly be the prime minister, not his wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some observers will note the timing of the separation announcement, which followed soon after a cabinet reshuffle. The decision to separate might have been made weeks earlier, with the timing of the announcement strategically planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, this could have been a decision made in light of political considerations \u2014 despite the insistence that the separation itself is a personal matter. Perhaps we are seeing Trudeau preparing, politically and personally, for the next election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there appear to be few political downsides to this separation, there are no upsides. It would certainly be preferable to announce the separation sooner rather than later \u2014 further out from the election than closer \u2014 and August is a month when many people tune out of current affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Withholding the announcement also risked it leaking to the media, with the implication there was something to hide. As it is, the separation might be conversation at the cottage or over a barbecue for a day or two, but it will be old news by the time people re-engage in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>__<br>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\">Carleton Newsroom<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/211024\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the long term, the political impact of the separation or divorce of public figures has tended to reflect prevailing attitudes towards divorce within the general population.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":88721,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[1623],"cu_story_tag":[],"class_list":["post-88718","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-expert-perspectives"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/88718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/88718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88725,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/88718\/revisions\/88725"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=88718"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=88718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}