The long-awaited union of former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford has been celebrated. 325 kilometres from Wellington, the capital, the couple exchanged vows in a private ceremony at an opulent vineyard in the scenic Hawke’s Bay region.

Only close friends and family members, along with a few of Ardern’s previous coworkers, including her successor and former prime minister Chris Hipkins, attended the secret event. The COVID-19 epidemic forced the pair to postpone their wedding arrangements, which were originally slated for the summer of 2022 in the southern hemisphere.
A small group of demonstrators gathered outside the venue despite it being a private function. As they sprayed anti-vaccine banners on a nearby wall, police moved in. “Let us not forget jab mandates,” was written on a sign held by one of the demonstrators.
Five years after starting dating in 2014, Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, became engaged. Their 2022 wedding was postponed due to government regulations prohibiting parties from hosting more than 100 guests during the pandemic.

During her time as prime minister, Ardern—who was renowned for her progressive leadership—became a worldwide symbol of the left. Her management of the country’s worst mass massacre and the early phases of the COVID-19 outbreak won her praise on a global scale.
After five and a half years in office, Ardern shocked the country in January 2023 by announcing her resignation. She cited a lack of energy to carry out her duties during an election year. After leaving politics, Ardern briefly enrolled at Harvard University and was awarded two fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School. She also took on an unpaid position battling extremism on the internet.
Ardern was criticised for the severe COVID-19 regulations she enforced while in office, yet in June she was awarded one of New Zealand’s greatest accolades in recognition of her outstanding work. After being made a Dame Grand Companion, she will now be known as Dame Jacinda Ardern.