Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire through the years: A timeline of their relationship
The Canadian prime minister and his wife announced they are separating after 18 years of marriage.
Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire are officially ending their love story.
On Wednesday, the couple announced that they were separating after 18 years of marriage, with a post the Canadian prime minister shared on social media.
"Hi everyone, Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate," Trudeau's statement read. "As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build."
For a large portion of their relationship, the couple lived under the public eye, bearing the brunt of scrutiny and intense responsibility as world leaders. Below, see some key dates in their life together.
2003: Charity gala meeting
Shortly before dating, Grégoire — a Quebec TV personality — was co-hosting a charity event in Montreal alongside Trudeau, who was an engineering student at École Polytechnique at the time.
Oct. 18, 2004: Engagement
After roughly a year of dating, the couple got engaged on what would have been the 85th birthday of Trudeau's father, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, at Montreal's Hotel Le St-James.
May 28, 2005: Wedding
Trudeau, 33 at the time, and Grégoire, 30, tied the knot at the Sainte-Madeleine d'Outremont Church in Montreal during an intimate ceremony attended by around 180 guests. Following the service, the newly-weds hopped in Trudeau's father's 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL and drove to their reception.
Oct. 18, 2007: Xavier's birth
A couple of years after their wedding, Grégoire Trudeau gave birth to their first son, Xavier James Trudeau, in Montreal. By this time, Justin was ready to make his mark on the Liberal Party and eventually became a Minister of Parliament for Papineau, Que. a year later.
Feb. 5, 2009: Ella-Grace's birth
Grégoire Trudeau gave birth to their second child and only daughter, Ella-Grace Margaret Trudeau, in Montreal. A year later, she resigned from her role as the Quebec correspondent for "eTalk."
April 14, 2013: Liberal Party election
With 80 per cent of the vote on the first ballot, Justin Trudeau was elected as the Liberal Party's new leader, helping the political party rise into first place in the public opinion polls.
Feb. 28, 2014: Hadrien's birth
The family welcomed their third child, Hadrien Gregoire Trudeau, in Ottawa.
Nov. 4, 2015: Federal election
Leading the Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau became Canada's 23rd prime minister following a major victory in the country's federal election.
March 10, 2016: Visiting the Obamas
Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau met U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. It was the first official visit by a Canadian leader in almost 20 years.
May 24, 2016: Work-life balance
Trudeau announced he'd take a day off during the G7 Summit in Japan to celebrate his 11th wedding anniversary with his wife. Noting that he'd be taking the time off on "personal funds," Trudeau added that this was the "work-life balance" he "often talked about as being essential" to serve Canada.
Oct. 11, 2017: Visiting the Trumps
The couple take their second visit to the United States, where they were welcomed by former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Dec. 20, 2017: Vacation gone wrong
Trudeau was found guilty of breaking the federal ethics act by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, after the family vacationed at the Aga Khan's private island.
Feb. 23, 2018: Accusations of cultural appropriation
The prime minister and his family faced accusations of cultural appropriation following a state visit to see Narendra and Jashodaben Modi in New Delhi, India.
Is it just me or is this choreographed cuteness all just a bit much now? Also FYI we Indians don’t dress like this every day sir, not even in Bollywood. pic.twitter.com/xqAqfPnRoZ
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 21, 2018
Oct. 21, 2019: Second term
The family celebrated Trudeau's second term as Canada's prime minister. However, this time Trudeau won with a minority government, losing seats to the Conservative party and the Bloc Quebecois.
May 4, 2020: New podcast series
Grégoire Trudeau launched a new podcast series, called the "WE Well-being" podcast, where she discusses the mental health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 29, 2020: WE Charity scandal
Trudeau faced the heat of a scandal after his family's involvement in WE Charity became public knowledge.
Feb. 23, 2021: Visiting the Bidens
Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau met U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House. It was the first bilateral meeting between Canada and the U.S. since Biden was elected.
Sept. 21, 2021: Third term
Trudeau won a third term as Canada's prime minister, leading the country with a minority government.
Nov. 1, 2022: Archetypes podcast
Grégoire Trudeau spoke to Meghan Markle on her "Archetypes" podcast, where the duo talked about their long friendship, motherhood and what it means to be a woman.
Aug. 2, 2023: Separation announcement
An official statement released by the Prime Minister's Office said Trudeau and Grégoire have "signed a legal separation agreement" and the pair "have worked to ensure that all legal and ethical steps with regards to their decision to separate have been taken, and will continue to do so moving forward."
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