Albanese ties the knot in intimate Canberra wedding
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon tied the knot in an intimate spring wedding in Canberra.
Previously dubbed Australia’s “royal wedding”, the couple wed in a small outdoor ceremony at The Lodge, the prime minister’s residence in Canberra.
Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon were married by a celebrant in front of 60 close friends and family.
“We are absolutely delighted to share our love and commitment to spending our future lives together, in front of our family and closest friends,” they said in a statement.
The couple wrote their own vows, and their dog Toto was the ring bearer.
Mrs. Haydon’s five-year-old niece, Ella, was a flower girl.
Mr Albanese confirmed earlier this year that they were planning to marry before the end of the year but were being careful about the details of the ceremony.
He said this would be a private event without the participation of any world leaders.
Mr Albanese told ABC Radio in early November: “It’s going to be a great day out in front of family and friends; it’s pretty small and it’s going to be a me and Jodie thing rather than a big public event.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his wife Laura were also on the guest list of about 60 people.
Other Labor figures, including Tim Ayres, Tony Burke, Katy Gallagher, Penny Wong, Mark Butler, Richard Marles, Penny Sharpe and Jo Haylen, arrived at The Lodge ahead of the wedding at 4pm.
Cheers erupted from the gardens just after 4.30pm.
Back in May, Ms Haydon offered a sneak peek at the couple’s plans for the big day, telling Women’s Weekly that their pet Toto would be making an appearance.
They were expected to marry after Parliament wrapped up at the end of November, with its final session taking place on Friday – the day Labor scored a major political victory by passing historic environmental law reforms.
Ms Haydon, head of strategic partnerships at Teachers Mutual Bank, met Mr Albanese at a business dinner in Melbourne in 2019.
The pair have previously said they bonded over their shared admiration for the South Sydney Rabbis.
Weddings make history; Mr Albanese became the first Australian prime minister to marry while in office.
His wife accompanies him on official duties and international trips, with a particularly demanding schedule ahead of the big day.
The duo went to the White House in New York in September and October and met with US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump.
During the second visit, Mr. Albanese and Mr. Trump signed an $8.5 billion critical mineral deal.
The couple also touched down in London in September to attend a dinner hosted by Albanese’s British counterpart Keir Starmer and Canadian leader Mark Carney.
Mr. Albanese proposed at The Lodge on Valentine’s Day 2024 with a ring he helped design.
“We’re looking forward to our version of the royal wedding in the near future,” then-opposition leader Peter Dutton said after the announcement.
Earlier that year, the couple bought a cliff-top home overlooking Copacabana Beach on the Central Coast for $4.3 million.
Before meeting his wife, Mr Albanese was married to Carmel Tebbutt, whom he first met through Young Labor in the late 1980s.
They have a son named Nathan, born in 2000, and separated in early 2019 after 19 years of marriage.
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