Wedding bells for PM after engagement to Jodie Haydon

Anthony Albanese designed the engagement ring he used to propose to partner Jodie Haydon. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to tie the knot, after announcing his engagement to partner Jodie Haydon.

Mr Albanese made the announcement on social media on Thursday, posting a picture of the happy couple with the caption "she said yes", following the proposal on Valentine's Day.

The proposal happened at the Lodge after the two spent Valentine's Day having dinner at the restaurant Italian and Sons in the Canberra suburb of Braddon.

The engagement ring used for the proposal was designed by the prime minister himself.

"We are thrilled and excited to share this news and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together," Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon said in a joint statement.

"We are so lucky to have found each other."

The pair first met in 2020 at an event in Melbourne and bonded over their shared love of the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL team.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Partner Jodie Haydon.
Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon first met in 2020 and bonded over a shared love of the Rabbitohs.

The then-opposition leader was speaking at an event and asked if there were Rabbitohs fans in the audience to which Jodie replied "up the Rabbitohs".

Mr Albanese told the Australian Women's Weekly in 2022 he later introduced himself to her.

“We had what I thought would just be a drink at Young Henrys in Newtown, and we got on really well. That’s how it started," he said.

Mr Albanese is the first prime minister to get engaged while in office, and would be the first leader to get married while serving in the position.

Jodie Haydon and Anthony Albanese with the Bidens
Jodie Haydon was alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House in 2023.

News of the engagement prompted widespread congratulations on social media.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on X "love is a beautiful thing, I'm so happy for you both".

Labor MP Peter Khalil said "congratulations Albo and Jodie. Jodie is a lovely person and you're both very lucky to have each other. You really outdid us all on Valentine's Day".

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton led congratulatory messages to the prime minister and his fiancee during question time in parliament on Thursday.

"Can I share our congratulations and best wishes to you. We look forward to our version of the royal wedding some time in the future," he said.

Mr Albanese joked the opposition leader should "keep checking your mailbox" ahead of the looming wedding.

The pair also received well wishes from New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

"Congratulations Anthony, very happy for you and Jodie," he said.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store