A timeline of the Trudeaus' personal and political moments
Jessica Mundie | CBC News | Posted: August 2, 2023 11:03 PM | Last Updated: August 2, 2023
The two were married in 2005 and have three children together
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Caption: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announced they are separating on Wednesday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
After an 18-year marriage, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announced Wednesday they have decided to separate.
"Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversations, we have made the decision to separate," Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau wrote in identical messages posted to their Instagram accounts.
Here is a short timeline of some of their biggest personal and political moments together.
Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau began dating in 2003, says the prime minister in his autobiography Common Ground. Grégoire Trudeau was a former schoolmate of Trudeau's late brother, Michel.
The two became engaged in 2004 and married a year later at Montreal's Sainte-Madeleine d'Outremont church.
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Caption: Trudeau leaves with his new bride in his father's 1959 Mercedes 300 SEL after their marriage ceremony in Montreal on Saturday, May 28, 2005. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
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Caption: Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau leave the church after their marriage ceremony in Montreal on Saturday, May 28, 2005. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
Grégoire Trudeau, a former television presenter, has been a prominent presence at Trudeau's side since the beginning of his political career.
In 2007, Trudeau decided to seek the Liberal Party nomination in the Montreal riding of Papineau. He went on to win his seat in the 2008 and 2011 federal elections.
The two were together at the 2012 charity boxing match between Trudeau and then-Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau.
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Caption: Then-Liberal MP Trudeau stands with Grégoire Trudeau after he won a charity boxing match for cancer research on Saturday, March 31, 2012 in Ottawa. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press)
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Caption: Trudeau kisses Grégoire Trudeau in celebration of his boxing match win on Saturday, March 31, 2012 in Ottawa. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press)
Trudeau began to consider seeking the Liberal leadership after his wins as an MP. The decision, he wrote in his autobiography, would ultimately come down to "a deeply personal private discussion between Sophie and me."
Trudeau won the federal Liberal leadership in 2013. The two celebrated in Ottawa with their children Xavier and Ella-Grace.
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Caption: Trudeau, Grégoire Trudeau and their children celebrate after he won the federal Liberal leadership on Sunday April 14, 2013 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
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Caption: The two share an embrace after Trudeau won the federal Liberal leadership on Sunday April 14, 2013 in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Grégoire Trudeau has become a public figure in her own right throughout Trudeau's time in politics. She is an advocate for several charitable and social causes, including mental health and gender equality.
In 2015, Trudeau was elected prime minister for the first time. The two celebrated his election victory at the Liberal election headquarters in Montreal.
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Caption: Trudeau makes his way to the stage with Grégoire Trudeau at Liberal party headquarters in Montreal on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
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Caption: Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau share an intimate moment on stage following his speech at Liberal party headquarters in Montreal early Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)
Shortly after his election victory, Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau made headlines by appearing in Vogue Magazine.
"We're more partners than my mother and father were ever able to be," said Trudeau, in the article.
The two were photographed for Vogue by Canadian photographer Norman Jean Roy.
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Caption: The headline-making image of Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau that appeared in Vogue Magazine in January 2016. (Norman Jean Roy/Vogue)
In March 2016, Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau travelled to Washington for a three-day visit. The two attended a state dinner with then-U.S. president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama.
Three months later, Obama made a one-day trip to Ottawa. The former president gave a speech to senators and members of Parliament after being greeted by Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau.
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Caption: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau at the North Portico of the White House in Washington on Thursday, March 10, 2016, for a state dinner. (J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press)
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Caption: Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau take their seats in the House of Commons before Obama spoke to Parliament in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 29, 2016. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
The next summer, the two welcomed then-Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to Ottawa for the Canada 150 celebrations.
The royals attended the 2017 Canada Day event on Parliament Hill with Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau and their children, Hadrien, Ella-Grace and Xavier.
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Caption: Then-Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, join Trudeau, Grégoire Trudeau and their children at the Canada 150 celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1, 2017. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
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Caption: Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau wave as they leave the stage following the noon-hour show on Saturday July 1, 2017 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
In September 2019, Trudeau requested the dissolution of Parliament and triggered the launch of the federal election campaign.
The election took place in October, with Trudeau winning and forming a minority government.
Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau watched the results roll in with their children and then celebrated the victory at the Liberal election headquarters in Montreal.
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Caption: Trudeau, Grégoire Trudeau and children watch election results in Montreal on Monday Oct. 21, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
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Caption: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau celebrate an election victory at Liberal election headquarters in Montreal on Monday Oct. 21, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
A few months after Trudeau's election victory, the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Grégoire Trudeau spoke in depth about mental health and well-being throughout the pandemic. In May 2020, she launched a podcast in which she discussed the mental health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau had an unusual agenda on Canada Day 2020. Instead of the regular programming on Parliament Hill, the two harvested vegetables at the Ottawa Food Bank Farm
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Caption: The Trudeau family listens to Community Harvest Manager Jason Gray before harvesting vegetables at the Ottawa Food Bank Farm in Ottawa, on Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians headed to the polls in September 2021 to vote in another federal election.
Trudeau secured a third mandate and his second minority government.
He was joined by Grégoire Trudeau and their children at the Liberal headquarters in Montreal to celebrate his victory.
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Caption: Trudeau watches election results with Grégoire Trudeau and children at Liberal headquarters in Montreal on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
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Caption: Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau share a kiss during his victory speech at party campaign headquarters in Montreal, early Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)
A year later, Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau traveled to London where they attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
They were joined by former prime ministers Stephen Harper, Paul Martin, Jean Chrétien and Kim Campbell, as well as former governors general Michaëlle Jean and David Johnston.
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Caption: Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau leave Westminster Abbey after the funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II in central London on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. (Bernat Armangue/The Associated Press)
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Caption: The two arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on Monday Sept. 19, 2022. (Jack Hill/The Associated Press)
In March 2023, Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau hosted U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in Ottawa.
Biden delivered a speech to the Canadian parliament and attended a gala dinner hosted by the two.
Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau welcomed the Bidens at Rideau Cottage.
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Caption: U.S. first lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau sit in the House of Commons before Biden speaks to the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on Friday, March 24, 2023. (Kevin Lamarque/The Associated Press)
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Caption: President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pose for members of the media as they arrive to visit with Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau at Rideau Cottage on March 23, 2023, in Ottawa. (Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press)
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