Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has tied the knot with his partner Jodie Haydon, becoming the first sitting national leader to get married while in office.
The couple were married on Saturday afternoon in Canberra, just a day after Parliament wrapped up for the year.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to celebrate our love and our commitment to spending our lives together, surrounded by our families and closest friends,” Albanese said in a short statement.
Albanese proposed on Valentine’s Day last year, with both the engagement and the wedding reception held at his official residence, The Lodge.
Wedding plans were kept quiet until the day due to security considerations and the risk of disruptions.
Those attending included Ms Haydon’s parents and Albanese’s son from his previous marriage. The prime minister’s dog, Toto, served as ring bearer, and the couple walked back down the aisle to Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).
Albanese later posted a video on his official social media accounts showing the newlyweds being showered with confetti.
Several cabinet ministers were also present.
At the reception, the pair shared their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight. Guests were also treated to custom-made beer cans featuring the same photo used to announce their engagement.
The couple will enjoy a short honeymoon within Australia from Monday to Friday next week, after scaling back earlier plans following Albanese’s re-election in May.
Albanese, 62, and Haydon, 47, first met at a business event in Melbourne in 2020 when he was leader of the opposition.
Ms Haydon accompanied him on both the 2022 and 2025 election campaigns, and has appeared alongside him at major events including Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and a state dinner hosted by former US President Joe Biden.
Albanese had already made history as the first Australian PM to get engaged while in office. At the time, the pair said they felt “so lucky to have found each other.”
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