Australian PM announces engagement after Valentine's Day proposal

Soon to be hitched: Albanese and Haydon in an announcement on Instagram. — Reuters

SYDNEY: Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, revealed in a romantic tweet his engagement to girlfriend Jodie Haydon.

"She said 'yes'," the 60-year-old Albanese posted on social media platform X, alongside a love-heart emoji.

Beneath the announcement, he posted a selfie, reportedly taken on Valentine's Day, of the pair smiling into the lens.

Haydon is dressed in emerald green and has her hand resting on his chest, an engagement ring visible on her finger.

The Prime Minister, in a light-blue collared shirt, is beaming.

Albanese, who met Haydon at a Melbourne business dinner in 2020, is the first Australian prime minister to get engaged while in office, public broadcaster ABC reported.

"Love is a beautiful thing. I'm so happy for you both!" Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted.

Congratulations quickly flooded in from others including Australian politicians and English celebrity chef Nigella Lawson.

A smattering of online critics suggested Albanese was trying to distract from pressing issues, including the war in Gaza.

Albanese, nicknamed Albo, joined the centre-left Labor Party while in high school and later became deeply involved in the bruising world of student politics at the University of Sydney

He was sworn in as Prime Minister in May 2022.

The Australian leader was elected to parliament in 1996, and in his first speech thanked his mother, Maryanne Ellery, for raising him in tough circumstances.

The mother and son lived in public housing in Sydney during Albanese's childhood and his single mother often struggled to make ends meet. – AFP