Australian Prime Minister Albanese becomes first Prime Minister to get married while in office

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

The two tied the knot in the capital, Canberra, on Saturday afternoon local time, the day after the last parliamentary session of the year.

“We are extremely pleased to share our love and commitment to our future life together in front of our family and closest friends,” Albanese said in a brief statement.

The couple got engaged on Valentine’s Day last year. The Labor leader’s proposal and wedding reception were held at his official residence, The Lodge.

Wedding plans were kept under wraps until the big day due to concerns about safety and potential disruption.

In attendance were Ms Hayden’s parents and Albanese’s son from a previous marriage.

Albanese’s dog Toto served as ring bearer as 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 account showing the happy couple walking down the aisle as guests showered them with confetti.

Several of Albanese’s cabinet ministers attended the ceremony.

At the reception, their first dance was to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.”

The celebration also featured custom beer cans emblazoned with the image used to announce the engagement.

The couple were due to travel to Australia on Monday and Friday next week for their honeymoon, but those plans were scaled back after he was re-elected in May.

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

Ms Hayden has appeared on Mr Albanese’s 2022 and 2025 campaigns and has attended major events with the Prime Minister, including the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and a state dinner hosted by former US President Joe Biden.

Albanese also made Australian history Became 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.”