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Aussie envoy to Paris pops question after gay marriage vote
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Equality ambassadors and volunteers from the The Equality Campaign gather in front of Parliament House in Canberra on December 7, 2017, ahead of the parliamentary vote on Same Sex Marriage, which will take place later today in the House of Representatives. (AFP/Sean Davey)
A
ustralia's ambassador to France wasted little time Thursday after his country adopted same-sex marriage, popping the question to his longtime partner just hours later in a video posted on Twitter.
"HE SAID YES!" Brendan Berne wrote along with a video of his proposal.
Today was a great day for Australia and for me. HE SAID YES! #MarriageEquality pic.twitter.com/liaXiw0FYh
— Brendan Berne (@AusAmbFR) December 7, 2017
"As ambassador to France, this is a great day for my country Australia which has passed marriage for all. But also for me personally," Berne wrote.
In the video, Berne stands outside his partner Thomas Marti's Paris office in the Australian embassy with the Eiffel Tower in the background, saying: "Now it's my turn to confirm my relationship with my partner of 11 years, Thomas."
Berne, 47, then heads into 37-year-old Marti's office, turning briefly to the camera to say "deep breath" before taking the plunge.
Admitting to being "a little nervous" and speaking in heavily accented French, Berne says: "I'd like to ask you a question. Would you please marry me?"
Read also: Australia prepares for rush of gay weddings
Aside to the camera: "I hope I got the question right."
In response Marti gets up from his swivel chair for a long embrace with his new fiance.
Marti is a Swiss-Australian who works for Australia's foreign affairs and trade ministry, according to the embassy.
The couple met on a tram in Amsterdam and speak French at home, embassy spokesman Romain Parlier told AFP.
The tweet came less than four hours after the same-sex marriage bill sailed through parliament in Canberra.
Among other Australians soon to tie the knot will be the Liberal Party's Tim Wilson, who proposed to his partner Ryan Bolger while speaking on gay marriage on the floor of the House of Representatives this week.
Same-sex marriage is now recognised in more than 20 countries, of which 16 are in Europe.
Austria's top court on Tuesday authorised same-sex marriage by 2019 at the latest.
