'She said yes': Australian prime minister proposes on Valentine's Day
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Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, has announced his engagement to long-term partner Jodie Haydon after proposing on Valentine’s Day.
“She said yes,” Mr Albanese wrote in a romantic post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, alongside a love-heart emoji and a selfie.
The photo shows the couple smiling, with an engagement ring visible on Ms Haydon’s finger.
It is understood the pair were enjoying a Valentine’s Day dinner at Italian and Sons, a restaurant in Canberra, before they returned to The Lodge where Mr Albanese popped the question.
“We are thrilled and excited to share this news and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together,” the couple said in a joint statement on Thursday.
“We are so lucky to have found each other.”
Mr Albanese, 60, and Ms Haydon, 45, met at a Melbourne business dinner in 2020.
A number of Australian politicians congratulated the couple on their engagement, as well as Nigella Lawson, the British celebrity chef.
Penny Wong, the Australian foreign minister, posted online: “Love is a beautiful thing. I’m so happy for you both!”
However, online critics suggested Mr Albanese was trying to distract from pressing issues, including the war in Gaza.
Mr Albanese is the first Australian prime minister to get engaged while in office.
He was previously married to Carmel Tebbutt for 19 years, before they divorced in 2019. They had been together for a total of 30 years and share a son, Nathan.
Mr Albanese, nicknamed “Albo”, joined the centre-Left Labor Party while in high school and later became deeply involved in student politics at the University of Sydney.
He was sworn in as prime minister in May 2022.
