Australian prime minister becomes first to wed in office

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has married his partner Jodie Haydon, becoming the country’s first leader to marry while in office.

The pair tied the knot in the capital, Canberra, on Saturday afternoon local time - the day after the final sitting of the parliamentary year.

“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, The Lodge.

Until the big day, 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 prime minister 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.

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.

Albanese, 62, and Ms Haydon, 47, first met at a business dinner in Melbourne in 2020, while the former was leader of the opposition.

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 prime minister 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”.

Source: BBC

--Agencies