In a joyous celebration, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private wedding ceremony, marking the culmination of almost five years of engagement. The event, initially postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, took place at a luxurious vineyard in the picturesque Hawke’s Bay region, located 200 miles from Wellington, New Zealand’s capital.
While details of the ceremony were closely guarded, it is known that only close family, friends, and a select few of the 43-year-old Ardern’s former lawmaker colleagues, including her successor Chris Hipkins, were invited.
The intimate occasion faced a minor disruption as a small group of protesters, displaying anti-vaccination posters, gathered outside the venue. One protester held a sign reading, “Lest we forget jab mandates,” on the outskirts of the property.
Ardern and Gayford, 47, began dating in 2014 and got engaged five years later. However, their plans for a wedding in the southern hemisphere summer of 2022 were thwarted by COVID-19 restrictions limiting gatherings to 100 people.
Ardern, a global left-wing icon who assumed leadership at just 37 in 2017, gained international acclaim for her adept handling of New Zealand’s worst-ever mass shooting and the early stages of the pandemic. In 2018, she made history as the second elected world leader to give birth while in office, bringing her infant daughter to the United Nations General Assembly.
Stepping down in January 2023 after five-and-a-half years as prime minister, Ardern cited exhaustion as her reason. She has since taken up dual fellowships at Harvard University and an unpaid role combating online extremism. In June, Ardern was honored with the title of Dame Grand Companion for her outstanding service during challenging times.
This private wedding ceremony now marks a personal milestone for Ardern and Gayford, concluding their journey from engagement to marriage amid the unique challenges faced during Ardern’s impactful tenure as New Zealand’s leader.
