Jacinda Ardern — Biography

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern, now Dame Jacinda, is a distinguished former political figure who led New Zealand as its 40th Prime Minister and also helmed the Labour Party. Her tenure in these leadership roles spanned from 2017 to 2023. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Ardern represented her party as a Member of Parliament, initially as a list MP from 2008 to 2017, and later representing the Mount Albert electorate from 2017 to 2023. Her personal life includes her marriage to television personality Clarke Gayford. The couple exchanged vows on January 13, 2024, at the scenic Craggy Range Winery, situated close to Havelock North in the Hawke's Bay region. A significant moment in her premiership occurred on January 19, 2018, when Ardern revealed she was expecting her first child, due in June. This announcement marked her as the first sitting Prime Minister of New Zealand to experience pregnancy while in office. Ardern was admitted to Auckland City Hospital on June 21, 2018, and on that same day, welcomed a daughter. This event made her only the second elected head of government globally to give birth while serving, following in the footsteps of Benazir Bhutto in 1990. Her daughter was given the names Neve Te Aroha.