Jacinda’s little star
First Baby Neve’s global coo!
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern might have held her own in front of 140 world leaders in New York last week, but it was her threemonth-old daughter Neve who stole the limelight!
Ever since their wee girl was born in June, the PM and her partner Clarke Gayford have gone to great lengths to shield their firstborn from the public, but all eyes were upon them when they arrived in the Big Apple for a United Nations peace summit.
High-flying politicians were charmed to see the youngster being cradled by her hands-on dad, 40, as he watched Jacinda, 38, speak about the impact Nelson Mandela had on her.
FishoftheDay presenter Clarke shared on social media about startling a Japanese delegation when they walked into a meeting room he was using for a nappy change. “Great yarn for her 21st,” he quipped. He also posted a photo of Neve’s specially made “New Zealand First Baby” ID card!
The PM said it was “a very practical decision” to take Neve to NYC because she was breastfeeding and played down her baby’s sudden appearance on the world stage. “Neve is actually nearby me most of the time in New Zealand,” she explained. “She’s just not always caught.”
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just politicians who couldn’t get enough of Jacinda – Anne Hathaway, a UN goodwill ambassador, requested a meeting to discuss issues such as paid parental leave. The PM said she was “very familiar” with the DevilWears
Prada star’s work and that their chat was “highly engaging”.
Appearing on US breakfast show Today, Jacinda joked that taking Neve on a 17-hour flight felt “on par with running the country”. She continued, “Between Clarke and I, we managed it. She is a good baby. It’s the looks you get as you walk on to a plane with a little one, which I felt very conscious of. I actually did apologise in advance!”