Fran?ois Hollande's four children have reportedly cut off relations with his new girlfriend Valérie Trierweiler, after she backed their mother's rival for a parliamentary seat she went on to lose.

Ségolène Royal, 58, was tipped to be the new speaker of the National Assembly, one of the most powerful jobs in France, if she won the western seat of La Rochelle on Sunday.

But she crashed out when dissident Socialist Olivier Falorni, won 63 percent of the vote. Miss Trierweiler, 47, caused political outrage last week when she tweeted her support for Mr Falorni.

President Fran?ois Hollande had on the contrary publicly backed Miss Royal, his former partner of 30 years.

After her defeat she was comforted by her four adult children.

Le Journal du Dimanche quoted a family friend as saying: “The children had very cordial relations with Valérie. I say 'had’. They went downhill after his inauguration (which they did not attend) even if she saw them after the election with their father. But since last Tuesday (day of the tweet), everything has changed,” it wrote.

Mr Hollande, who has made no public mention of the spat between the two women, yesterday reportedly said the defeat was his “biggest disappointment” of the elections.

Other Left-wingers offered support. The government spokesman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said Miss Royal’s defeat was “a significant shadow” on the electoral map. “We need her,” she said.

Right-wing former defence minister Gérard Longuet said: “I find this tale appalling. She is after all the mother of the president’s children. She has been rather poorly treated.”

The President’s domestic woes may not be over, as Miss Royal pledged to “continue to weigh upon national politics” amid speculation she may seek to lead the Socialist Party.

After her defeat, she quoted writer Victor Hugo saying: “Traitors always pay for their treachery in the end.”

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)