It is not the first time that Obama has paid tribute to his wife – with whom he shares two children, Malia, 18, and Sasha, 15 – and we doubt it will be the last, either.

During his final presidential address in January 2017, Obama called upon citizens to uphold their constitutional rights – and outlined the biggest threats to American democracy: economic inequality, racial divisions, the retreat of different segments of society into “bubbles”.

The 55-year-old then went on to thank Michelle for her time as FLOTUS, saying: “For the past 25 years, you’ve been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend.

“You took on a role you didn’t ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humour.”

‘Thank you for sticking with me’: Barack Obama honours Michelle in incredibly emotional speech