Five months after abruptly cancelling a much-anticipated trip to Australia to deal with a looming debt crisis in Washington, US President Joe Biden gave Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the highest diplomatic honour reserved for an ally: a lavish state dinner.<\/p>\n
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon arrive at the White House for a state dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Alex Ellinghausen<\/cite><\/p>\n After a day filled with ceremony and diplomacy \u2013 a 21-gun salute on the White House south lawn; a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office \u2013 the two world leaders reconvened in the evening for a glitzy black-tie event with more than 300 guests to celebrate their enduring alliance.<\/p>\n Albanese arrived at the north portico of the White House in a chauffeur-driven limousine just before 7pm, where he was greeted by the president, wearing a black suit and tie, and First Lady Jill Biden, who wore a silver and blush gown embroidered with leaf motifs.<\/p>\n The prime minister\u2019s partner, Jodie Haydon, was equally striking in a draped tulle gown by Australian label Paolo Sebastian, featuring embroidery of native flora and fauna such as kookaburras and wattle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe both did very well,\u201d Biden quipped to Albanese before the couples walked inside.<\/p>\n Biden told guests that Australia and the US \u201cstand as close as we have ever been\u201d.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Alex Ellinghausen<\/cite><\/p>\n Soon after, the pair entered a temporary outdoor pavilion that had been built on the South Lawn, where a patchwork of guests had been mingling: from politicians and policy wonks, to musicians, actors and captains of industry.<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s ambassador, Kevin Rudd, was spotted near the front of the room having had a lengthy discussion with Republican congressman Michael McCaul, whose party finally appointed a Speaker earlier in the day after weeks of infighting.<\/p>\n Australian musicians The Kid Laroi and Vance Joy worked their respective tables, while the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas Greenfield, gave a warm embrace to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.<\/p>\n And as the leaders prepared to give a toast before dinner was served, Albanese joked that he \u201conly had one regret about tonight, which is I\u2019m not quite sure how I top this for date night with Jodie, at any time, anywhere in the future\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all downhill from here, my darling,\u201d he told her.<\/p>\n The state dinner is a tradition that dates back to 1874, when Ulysses Grant hosted the king of Hawaii. Usually, it\u2019s a festive affair filled with celebrities and billionaires, and with music and entertainment well into the night.<\/p>\n This one, however, was set against the backdrop of a war in Ukraine and an escalating conflict in the Middle East \u2013 something that resulted in the First Lady shelving plans for The B-52s to perform their party hits. Members of the band were instead dinner guests, while a military band played on the stage.<\/p>\n The global challenges were not lost on Biden or Albanese, either.<\/p>\n As Israel prepares for a ground war in the Gaza Strip, closer to home, news that 22 people had been killed during a mass shooting in Maine was delivered to the president during his dinner. Biden stepped out briefly to call the governor and offer his full federal support.<\/p>\n \u201cWe live in a world that keeps changing. Yet one thing that keeps the ground firm beneath us is the great constant that is the American spirit,\u201d Albanese said as he toasted Biden.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a spirit Australians identify with. With a small population but big imagination, we punch above our weight \u2013 all the while drawing inspiration from our friends across the Pacific. We stand as close as we have ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden was equally laudatory, describing Albanese as a good friend, and Australia as a nation prepared to \u201cface tough challenges and with the courage to fight for a better future\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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