When Bob Hawke, Australia’s 23rd Prime Minister, died in May this year, his wife Blanche d’Alpuget was the one who broke the news to the nation.

“Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian – many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era,” she wrote in a statement at the time.

Now, six months on from Bob’s death, Blanche has opened up about how she’s been trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband of nearly 25 years.

After Bob’s death, Blanche received thousands of letters and messages of “

heir attraction was “instantaneous” despite being married to different people at the time.

Six years later, Blanche interviewed Bob for a biography on arbitrator Sir Richard Kirby. And that began the pair’s infamous love affair.

“It was the ’70s, and I was a feminist, I was in the women’s movement. We didn’t believe in monogamy, we believed in liberty, equality and sorority and supporting other women, and affairs were par for the course. They were part of that life,” she said.

OnThe Project, Wilkinson asked if Bob had a problem with how his relationship with Blanche began.

“Are you kidding?” she laughed.

“He was perpetually unfaithful. He loved Hazel and he was perpetually unfaithful,” she said.

Speaking previously to Mia Freedman onMamamia’sNo Filter podcast, Blanche explained, “…one tried to be discreet and not hurt anybody”.

While they were “madly in love”, Bob and Blanche just remained lovers for more than two decades as Bob was still married to his first wife, Hazel Hawke (nee Masterson).

Listen to Mia Freedman’s full interview with Blanche d’Alpuget on the No Filter podcast. Post continues after podcast.

During the interview,

“Bob and Charles are on deck and of course millions of small boats were on the harbour and a lot of naughty Sydney girls taking the tops of their bikinis off,” she said.

“Charles had a pair of binoculars saying ‘Prime Minister, there are a pair of beauties.'”

“They’re blokes, you know,” she said. “And Diana was sitting downstairs.”

Bob Hawke and Blanche d'Alpuget. Image: Getty.

When the pair married in 1995, their relationship caused tension amongst family members, particularly Bob's and Hazel's three children.

However, as time went on, Bob's family eventually embraced their relationship.

But conflict still remains with Bob's daughter Roslyn, who is reportedly

Blanche said at times Bob's career negatively impacted his children.

Blanche said Bob would have been pleased with the public tribute he received after his death.

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