The 'unique' way Julian Assange proposed to wife Stella before marrying lawyer inside high-security prison
- Assange, 52, is a free man after pleading guilty to felony U.S. espionage charge
- The WikiLeaks founder released thousands of classified U.S. military documents
- Assange had been held at a top high-security prison in London since April 2019
- READ MORE: Assange breaks down in tears as judge declares him 'a free man'
After being held in a maximum security prison in London since 2019, Julian Assange is returning to his wife and two children in Australia as a free man.
The WikiLeaks founder, 52, was responsible for releasing hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on America's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history.
Assange has been indefinitely banned from entering the U.S. after pleading guilty to a felony espionage charge, and has been released without probation or supervision after a hearing in a US federal court on the Pacific island of Saipan.
In April 2019, Assange was forcibly removed from Ecuadorian embassy after his diplomatic asylum was revoked, and spent five years in London's Belmarsh prison, fighting extradition to the US.
While in Belmarsh, he married his partner Stella with whom he had two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy.
As he returns to his family in his homeland of Australia, we explore how Julian Assange proposed to his lawyer wife, as well as their subsequent high-profile wedding inside prison.
After being held in a maximum security prison in London since 2019, today, Julian Assange returns to his wife and two children in Australia as a free man (stock image)
Stella Assange began a relationship with Julian in 2015, before getting engaged to him in 2017
Nearly 14 years since the WikiLeaks founder's ordeal began, Stella has not only remained by his side, but has fought vehemently for her husband's freedom (stock image)
Who is Stella Assange and how did she and Julian Assange meet?
Stella Assange, 40, is a human rights lawyer who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a theatre director mother and an urban planner father.
Stella holds both Spanish and Swedish nationality, having lived in Botswana, Lesotho, Sweden and Spain before going on to attend university in the UK.
She has a degree in law and politics from London's prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies and took her MSc at Oxford where she was a noted scholar.
She became a member of Julian's inner circle in the embassy, officially changing her name from Sara Gonzalez Devant to Stella Morris so she could maintain a lower profile while researching and drafting legal documents for WikiLeaks.
Stella later began a relationship with Julian in 2015 before getting engaged to him in 2017.
Nearly 14 years since the WikiLeaks founder's ordeal began, Stella has not only remained by his side, but has fought vehemently for her husband's freedom.
Julian and Stella have two children - Gabriel (L) and Max (R) - who were conceived while their father was hiding out in the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition to the U.S. (stock image)
How many children do Julian Assange and Stella Assange share?
Julian and Stella have two children - Gabriel and Max - who were conceived while their father was hiding out in the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition to the United States.
Gabriel came into the world in 2017, followed by the arrival of Max in February 2019.
How did Julian Assange propose to Stella Assange?
According to reports, Julian popped the question to Stella while she was pregnant with their first child - and incorporated the use of technology for a truly unique proposal.
Speaking to The Times in 2020, Stella revealed that Julian used a virtual reality headset to ask for her hand in marriage, saying there was a 'surprise' inside.
'I found myself wandering through this digital realm,' she recalled. 'There was a house, then a beach decked out with balloons and all sorts.'
'And then Julian said 'look up' and there was this massive: "Will you marry me?" written in the sky.'
Where did Julian Assange and Stella Assange get married?
Stella appeared outside HMP Belmarsh in March 2022 in a full-length wedding dress with one of designer Vivienne Westwood's signature corsets (stock image)
The Wikileaks founder tied the knot with his long-time fiancé in a ceremony inside HMP Belmarsh in March 2022.
The human rights lawyer appeared outside the jail in a full-length wedding dress with one of designer Vivienne Westwood's signature corsets.
Her floor-length tulle veil was embroidered with messages from their friends and family which included words such as 'valiant, wild, relentless and free enduring love.'
Assange wore a specially made tartan kilt by the designer in honour of his Scottish roots.
The couple married inside the high-security southeast London prison in a small ceremony attended by two guests and two prison guards- with a guard acting as wedding snapper.
Stella's floor-length tulle veil was embroidered with with messages from their friends and family which included words such as 'valiant, wild, relentless and free enduring love'
After a civil ceremony and a blessing by a Catholic chaplain in the presence of their two young sons - Gabriel, seven, and Max, six - the new Mr and Mrs Julian Assange were escorted back into the prison's general visiting hall
Stella Moris departs HMP Belmarsh prison after her wedding to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, in London, Britain March 23, 2022 (stock image)
Speaking in an op-ed for the Guardian ahead of the ceremony, Stella said of the dress: 'I am honoured to be wearing their beautiful creation. It is a symbol of our love and defiance in the face of this cruel situation.'
The prison refused permission for journalists or a photographer to be present as witnesses on security grounds.
After a civil ceremony and a blessing by a Catholic chaplain in the presence of their two young sons - Gabriel, seven, and Max, six - the new Mr and Mrs Julian Assange were escorted back into the prison's general visiting hall.
