New Zealand ex-Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern weds longtime partner

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern marries partner Clarke Gayford after COVID-19 forced previous cancellations.

New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private ceremony on Saturday, January 13, 2024, finally tying the knot after cancelling ceremonies during strict COVID-19 controls she imposed on the country.

Ms. Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, got engaged in May 2019 and were meant to be married in early 2022, but the ceremony was cancelled due to her “go hard, go early” approach to the pandemic, which allowed New Zealand to keep deaths from the virus low.

She became a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in leadership as prime minister from 2017 to January last year. Ms. Ardern, one of just two women to have a baby as national leaders, took her daughter to a United Nations meeting.

The wedding took place in Hawke's Bay at Craggy Range Winery on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, about 310 km north of the capital Wellington, a spokesperson said by email.

Official photos showed a smiling Ms. Ardern wearing a white halter neck dress, while Gayford wore a black suit. They tied the knot in front of some 50 to 75 guests, news site Stuff reported.

Among the guests was Ms. Ardern's successor as Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, the current opposition leader, the New Zealand Herald said.

Hawke’s Bay is home to a number of internationally known wineries and is an important horticultural area.