Boris Johnson Secretly Marries Fiancée Carrie Symonds At Westminster Cathedral

May 30, 2021

Congratulations are in order for Boris Johnson and his new wife, Carrie Symonds! The couple, who have been linked together since 2019, got married in a small ceremony at Westminister Cathedral on Saturday, May 29, 2021. According to The New York Times, the ceremony was conducted with utmost secrecy, and even Johnson's close aides were not told about the ceremony.  

The small wedding took place in the afternoon, and the cathedral was less than a mile from 10 Downing Street, the prime minister's official residence. This is Johnson's third marriage and Symonds' first. Johnson is also the first prime minister to be married while in office since 1822.

The couple's relationship was controversial when it was first reported. When Johnson, 55, moved into Downing Street in 2019 with Symonds, 33, his divorce with his second wife, Marina Wheeler, with whom he had been with for 25 years, had not been finalized yet. Johnson shares four children with Wheeler. Johnson and Symonds share one son, Wilfred, who was born in 2020. Wilfred was naturally one of the guests at the couple's wedding. 

The New York Times reported that Westminister Cathedral was abruptly cleared of visitors and that Johnson then pulled up in a limousine with Symonds for their ceremony. There were only 30 people in attendance according to the current coronavirus restrictions in the UK, and all guests were reportedly invited on short notice. Among the guests was also Johnson's father, Stanley. 

Many political figures have already started publicly congratulating Johnson and Symonds on this important milestone in their life. 

A spokesperson for Downing Street confirmed the wedding on Sunday, May 30. The statement read, "The prime minister and Ms Symonds were married yesterday afternoon in a small ceremony at Westminster Cathedral.The couple will celebrate their wedding with family and friends next summer." Sky News reported that the couple had sent out "save the date" cards to family and friends and told them to keep 30 July 2022 free for celebrations. 

For their wedding yesterday, BBC reported that a small number of church officials were also involved in preparations for the Catholic ceremony, which was officiated by Father Daniel Humphreys. Symonds wore a white dress to exchange vows with the prime minister but did not wear a veil. Musicians were photographed leaving the couple's residence on Saturday evening. 

Johnson and Symonds's relationship has been unorthodox in many ways. Symonds is a former Conservative Party communications aide and met Johnson while he was still married to his second wife, Marina Wheeler, with whom he shares four children. BBC reported that he is currently estranged from Wheeler. He had announced his divorce in 2018, but it was not yet confirmed when he moved into Downing Street in 2019 with Symonds.  

When Johnson was confirmed to be prime minister in July 2019, Symonds watched enter his official residence, No 10, Downing Street, which is analogous to the White House in the US, from the sidelines. This is in stark contrast to former prime ministers, whose wives have joined their husbands on the famous Downing Street steps. However, Symonds walked in with Johnson after the elections in December according to BBC. 

Sky News reported that the couple became engaged in 2019 on the island of Mustique. The couple confirmed their engagement and announced their pregnancy in February 2020, a month after Britain had formally left the European Union. However, this happy news was quickly overtaken by the coronavirus pandemic.  Johnson was one of the early victims of the virus when he became ill and ended up in an intensive care unit. Symonds also contracted Covid and shared her fears during those days on Twitter according to The New York Times. 

BBC reported that it was unprecedented that a prime minister has a live-in girlfriend when he took office, and they became the first-ever unmarried couple to occupy Downing Street when they moved there in 2020. 

The New York Times has reported that recently, Symonds and Johnson had been pulled into a furor over the costly renovation of the couple’s apartment at 11 Downing Street. This was controversial because the work surpassed the state budget of 30,000 pounds, or $42,570, provided for redecorating the apartment, and went way over with a final bill that came to as much as £200,000, or $283,800. After a probe into this, an independent ethics adviser, who was appointed by the government declared that while Johnson had acted “unwisely” in the refurbishment of the apartment, he had not violated any ministerial codes of conduct.

After many challenges, the couple's wedding certainly comes as a welcome and happy respite for the couple. Metro UK reported that the first photos of the wedding ceremony have been released.

Congratulations to the happy couple! What do you think of Boris Johnson's secret wedding to Carrie Symonds? Tell us about your thoughts, and be sure to let your friends know about the wedding as well.