Ex-New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern marries longtime partner Clarke Gayford
Former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner, Clarke Gayford, in a private ceremony on Saturday. The intimate event took place at a picturesque vineyard in Hawke's Bay, far from the bustling capital of Wellington. The couple had been engaged for nearly five years but had to delay their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guest list at the wedding
The couple kept the event's specifics under wraps, and only family, close friends, and a few former colleagues, such as Ardern's successor, ex-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, were reportedly invited. Some 50 to 75 guests attended the wedding ceremony, the news site Stuff reported. Outside the venue, a handful of protesters gathered, displaying anti-vaccine posters and signs. One sign read, "Lest we forget jab mandates," near the property.
Ardern and Gayford's relationship timeline
Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, started dating in 2014 and got engaged in 2019. However, their wedding plans for the southern hemisphere summer of 2022 were postponed due to government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions that limited gatherings to 100 people. At the time of their decision to call off the wedding, Ardern commented, "Such is life," and acknowledged that she was no different from thousands of other New Zealanders.
Ardern's achievements and post-PM life
After becoming New Zealand's Prime Minister at just 37 in 2017, Ardern gained global recognition for her leadership during the country's worst-ever mass shooting and the early stages of the pandemic. She stepped down as PM in January 2023 and joined Harvard University after being appointed to dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School. Ardern also took on an unpaid role fighting online extremism. In June, she received one of New Zealand's highest honors, being named a Dame Grand Companion.
