Carla Bruni sees herself as the successor to Britain's Princess Diana. The singer - who is the wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy - has paid tribute to the late ex-wife of Prince Charles for the charity work she did, describing her as "remarkable."
She said: "Diana was incredible. She touched and kissed those who were infected with AIDS. She carried out extraordinary work which led to a great step forward in the fight against the epidemic."
"She did lots, and not just in the United Kingdom. She kissed those suffering with AIDS and demonstrated that it was not necessary to fear contamination. She was remarkable."
Carla - who is ambassador to a Geneva-based Aids fund - recently insisted on being photographed with sufferers in the west African state of Burkina Faso and has reportedly admitted she was inspired by the princess.
She is also said to be motivated by the death of her brother Virginio, who died of AIDS in 2006.
French journalist Denis Jeambar said: "There's no doubt that she is taking part in the battle against AIDS because her brother died from it, but it's also evident that she is thinking of the late Princess on this trip to the rescue of an Africa devastated by AIDS."
He added that 41-year-old Carla saw: "Diana as providing a model which she can inherit."
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