Australian PM Anthony Albanese Marries Jodie Haydon in Historic Private Ceremony
Canberra, The Gulf Observer: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese married his partner Jodie Haydon in a private ceremony on Saturday, marking the first time in the 124-year history of the Australian federal government that a sitting prime minister has wed while in office.
The intimate ceremony took place at The Lodge, the prime minister’s official residence in Canberra, with around 60 close family members, friends and colleagues in attendance. Among the guests were Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe and several cabinet ministers. The event remained undisclosed to the media until it had concluded.
In a joint statement, the couple said, “We are absolutely delighted to share our love and commitment to spending our future lives together, in front of our family and closest friends.”
The pair exchanged personally written vows, and their dog Toto served as the ring bearer. Haydon’s five-year-old niece, Ella, participated as the flower girl.
Albanese, 62, who has an adult son from a previous marriage, proposed to Haydon, 46, on Valentine’s Day last year at The Lodge. The couple had initially envisioned a larger wedding, but plans were scaled back due to concerns within the ruling Labor Party that a grand celebration during a cost-of-living crisis could negatively affect the government ahead of the May election.
The wedding was postponed until after the election, with Albanese previously confirming it would take place in 2025 without disclosing a date. Saturday’s ceremony followed two days after Parliament adjourned for the year.
Haydon, who works in finance, met the prime minister at a business dinner in Melbourne in 2020.
