Canberra, Australia – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese married his longtime partner, Jodie Haydon, in a private ceremony on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at The Lodge, the official residence of the prime minister in Canberra. At 62, Albanese became the first Australian leader in history to marry while serving in office, marking a deeply personal milestone following his landslide re-election earlier in the year.
.jpeg)
The intimate wedding, attended by around 60 to 80 close family members and friends, was held under strict security and kept deliberately low-key. The couple had requested privacy, with the prime minister’s office citing security concerns and a desire to avoid potential disruptions. The ceremony took place in the northern garden of The Lodge on a cool late-spring afternoon, featuring heartfelt personal touches throughout.
Albanese wore a tailored navy suit from Melbourne designer MJ Bale, while Haydon, 46, stunned in a full-sleeved embroidered gown by Sydney label Romance Was Born. The couple exchanged vows they had written themselves. Their border terrier, Toto — dressed in a custom white tutu — carried the rings down the aisle, stealing the show and quickly becoming a national favourite on social media. Haydon’s five-year-old niece, Ella, served as flower girl.
As the newlyweds walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” played, followed later by their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” Guests enjoyed a relaxed reception featuring a two-tier wedding cake and personalised cans of beer from Sydney brewery Willie the Boatman, complete with photos of the couple.
Among the guests were Albanese’s 24-year-old son Nathan (from his previous marriage), Haydon’s parents Bill and Pauline, and a tight circle of Labor colleagues including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his wife Laura, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, and Health Minister Mark Butler. Several of Albanese’s childhood friends from his working-class Camperdown upbringing in Sydney were also present, some of whom had surprised him with visits during both his 2022 and 2025 election victories.
In a short 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.”
Moments after the ceremony, Albanese posted a simple message on X: “Married 💍❤️💍,” followed by another: “I love you, Jodie.” The posts were met with tens of thousands of likes and congratulatory messages, including from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other international figures.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals Leader David Littleproud both issued warm public congratulations, with Ley writing: “Congratulations to Anthony and Jodie! I wish them every happiness as they continue building their lives together.”
This wedding marks a historic first: of Australia’s 31 prime ministers, none had previously married while in office. Only three were unmarried or became widowers during their terms — most recently caretaker prime minister John McEwen in 1967–68, whose wife died while he was in office. Albanese, whose 19-year marriage to former NSW deputy premier Carmel Tebbutt ended amicably in 2019, is also the first divorced Australian prime minister to remarry.
The couple’s love story began in October 2019 at a business dinner in Melbourne, when Albanese — then opposition leader — asked the audience if anyone supported the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Haydon shouted “Up the Rabbitohs!” and the two got talking over drinks afterwards. Their relationship grew steadily through the 2022 election campaign and beyond. They became engaged on Valentine’s Day 2024 at The Lodge, after Albanese sought his son Nathan’s blessing.
Haydon, a financial services professional and advocate for women in superannuation, has been a calm and popular presence at Albanese’s side on the campaign trail and on official trips to Dubai, Madrid, Paris, London for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, and the White House.
The entire wedding was privately funded, with no cost to taxpayers — a point Albanese’s office was keen to emphasise. The couple will take a short five-day domestic honeymoon starting Monday, December 1.
For a nation often weary of political drama, the wedding provided a rare moment of uncomplicated national joy. Images of Toto in a tutu, the prime minister beaming beside his new wife, and the simple, heartfelt celebration at The Lodge struck a chord with many Australians. As summer begins, Anthony and Jodie Albanese have given the country a warm, human story to close out 2025.
