Putting a ring on it: How Albanese planned his Valentine's Day ...
Jodie Haydon’s decision to say “yes” to Anthony Albanese on Wednesday evening at The Lodge means that for the first time in Australian history, a prime minister could get married while in office.
In a short statement on Thursday morning – after an even shorter Instagram post from the prime minister of the beaming couple captioned “She said yes” – the first couple confirmed their plans to wed.
The discreet upmarket Canberra restaurant Italian and Sons, where the prime minister celebrated Valentine’s Day before popping the question.Credit: Katherine Griffiths
“We are thrilled and excited to share this news and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together. We are so lucky to have found each other,” the couple said.
The pair had celebrated Valentine’s Day at Canberra restaurant Italian and Sons, a favourite of Labor MPs known for its fine dining and discreet service, and returned to The Lodge where Albanese popped the question.
The 60-year-old prime minister even personally designed the ring, which appeared to contain a generous two to three-carat diamond.
Their wedding is the third to be announced by members of the Albanese cabinet this year. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her partner Sophie Allouache, and Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic and his partner Fiona Scott – the chief of staff to independent senator David Pocock – also plan to wed.
Haydon likely had no idea what she was getting into when she outed herself as a South Sydney Rabbitohs fan at a union conference in Melbourne in late 2019.
The now-45-year-old superannuation industry executive yelled out “Up the Rabbitohs!” after the then opposition leader was sledged by an MC for his devotion to the rugby league club.
The pair spoke afterwards, and a romance began, a year after Albanese’s 30-year relationship with former NSW deputy premier Carmel Tebbutt had ended.
In May 2022, after an election campaign announcement about protecting the Great Barrier Reef, I joined Albanese and Haydon for a walk on the white sands of Fitzroy Island.
Haydon was personable, funny and engaging (and made a point of saying she had grown up reading The Sydney Morning Herald). It was clear the couple were quite taken with each other, but there was also a caution, a reserve about entering public life. While she was happy for photos to be taken of the couple, she didn’t wish to speak on the record.
The Sydney-born, Central Coast-raised partner of Australia’s 31st prime minister has not sought the limelight, rarely giving interviews or speaking publicly.
Nevertheless, she’s regularly been by Albanese’s side at key moments on the international stage, such as Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral at Westminster Abbey and an intimate dinner at the White House with Joe and Jill Biden.
All of that is about to change.
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Haydon has remained living in Sydney rather than moving to The Lodge with Albanese in Canberra, though she has been a regular visitor and members of her family have visited, too – her father and brother have even enjoyed a hit of tennis with the PM on the court at the Canberra residence.
Where the soon-to-be first lady of Australian politics will live now is just one of the many unanswered questions since Haydon accepted the prime minister’s proposal.
The timing and location of the wedding, the guest list, where and when the honeymoon will take place, and even the potential impact of the wedding on the timing of the next federal election – due by May 2025 – are also unknown.
The first prime ministerial wedding in Australian history is uncharted territory, but a very private person’s special day is now a matter of keen public interest.
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