Tie-up: Albanese becomes first Australian PM to marry while in office!
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Anthony Albanese on Saturday married his partner Jodie Haydon, becoming the country’s first Prime Minister ever to marry while in office.
Albanese, 62, and Ms Haydon, 47, first met at a business dinner in Melbourne in 2020, while the former was leader of the opposition.
The pair tied the knot in the capital, Canberra, on Saturday afternoon local time – the day after the final sitting of the parliamentary year, the media reported.
“We are absolutely delighted to share our love and commitment to spending our future lives together, in front of our family and closest friends,” Albanese said in a brief statement.
The couple became engaged on Valentine’s Day last year. The Labor leader’s proposal and the wedding reception both took place at his official residence.
Until Saturday, the wedding plans had been kept under wraps due to concerns about security and potential disruptions.
In attendance were Ms Haydon’s parents as well as Albanese’s son from his previous marriage.
Albanese’s dog Toto acted as ring bearer while the couple walked back down the aisle to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).”
The PM also shared a video on his official social media accounts showing the happy couple walking down the aisle as guests showered them in confetti.
Several of Albanese’s cabinet ministers attended the ceremony.
At the reception, their first dance was to The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra, BBC reported.
The celebrations also featured custom-made beer cans printed with the image used to announce their engagement.
The couple are set to honeymoon in Australia from Monday and Friday next week – plans that were pared back after his re-election in May.
Ms Haydon appeared during Albanese’s 2022 and 2025 election campaigns, and was seen alongside the PM at major events, including the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and a state dinner hosted by former US President Joe Biden.
Albanese also made Australian history by becoming the first PM to get engaged while in office.
The couple said in a joint statement at the time that they were “so lucky to have found each other.”
