Ten people found guilty of cyber bullying Emmanuel Macron's wife claiming she is a trans woman who was born a man

The eight men and two women, aged 41 to 60, who were tried in a Paris criminal court, had been accused of making malicious comments about Ms Macron's gender and sexuality.

This includes equating her age difference with her husband to "paedophilia".

They were handed sentences of up to eight months with suspended jail time, local media reported.

The Macrons have faced repeated false claims in recent years with some saying the French First Lady was born under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the actual name of her older brother.

Today's ruling provides a boost for the couple as they also pursue a high-profile US defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer and podcaster Candace Owens, who has also claimed Mrs Macron was born male.

The 24-year age gap between the pair has also been the subject of criticism and barbs that they long ignored but have increasingly started to actively pursue in court.

Ms Macron was 25 years older than Macron when he fell in love with her while she was teaching him Drama at the Catholic Providence school in Amiens, in northern France.

The couple married in 2007, when the future French president was 29 and she was in her mid-50s.

In July, the Macrons filed a lawsuit against Ms Owens in the US, alleging she "disregarded all credible evidence disproving her claim in favour of platforming known conspiracy theorists and proven defamers".

US defamation cases against public figures require proof of "actual malice".

In August, Mr Macron said: "This is about defending my honour because this is nonsense.

"This is someone who knew full well that she had false information and did so with the aim of causing harm, in the service of an ideology and with established connections to far-right leaders."

Speaking with French media on Sunday night, Ms Macron defended her fight against cyber bullies, hoping it would be an example to others.

She said the online attacks against her appeared endless, and included "people who broke into my tax website and modified my identity".

She also lamented that her attackers ignored the strong evidence of her gender.

Mrs Macron said: "A birth certificate is not nothing. It is a father or a mother who goes to declare their child, who says who he is or who she is.

"I want to help adolescents to fight against harassment, and if I do not set an example, it will be difficult."