What You Never Knew About Boris Johnson's Wife
Like all world leaders, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson isn't loved by all of his constituents. The New Statesman described him as "the most divisive prime minister of modern times," and even his one-time deputy, Sir Alan Duncan, couldn't resist calling him an "embarrassing buffoon" in his memoir, "In The Thick Of It" (via the Daily Mail). However, three different women loved Johnson enough to walk down the aisle with him: Allegra Mostyn Owen in 1987, Marina Wheeler in 1993, and most recently, Carrie Johnson (née Symonds) in 2021.
When Boris and Carrie tied the knot in May 2021, The Sun quoted one eyewitness who described the groom as looking "smart in a very dapper suit." But months earlier, stylist Lucas Armitage told The Daily Mail that the prime minister's inability to dress properly is "alarming," adding, "Seemingly, the man in charge of coordinating a response to a global pandemic can't even button up a shirt." Boris' unruly hair has also been criticized. Piers Morgan compared it to that of a scarecrow before tweeting that Carrie had tamed her partner's mane by giving him a trim "for the first time" in February 2021.
So what possessed Carrie to become an amateur hairstylist and the third Mrs. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson? Which corner of British high society did she emerge from? And does she deserve her Lady Macbeth reputation? Here's a look at the untold truth of Carrie Johnson.
Carrie Johnson once dated another political figure
Boris Johnson isn't the first British political figure that Carrie Johnson has been seriously involved with. Harry Cole might never have run the country, but he has reported on the machinations of Westminster for the likes of The Spectator, Sunday Times, and The Sun, the latter of which he now serves as a political editor for, per LinkedIn.
It's hard to believe, but Carrie — who also has journalism in her blood as the daughter of The Independent co-founder Matthew Symonds, per The Sun — and Cole were once considered the coolest power couple of the younger Conservative movement. But after several years of dating, they went their separate ways in 2017, shortly before the former entered into a relationship with the prime minister, per The Daily Mail.
Rather awkwardly, Cole has often had to report on his former girlfriend's new relationship — see his tweet teasing The Sun's scoop about their wedding date or his Scottish Mail piece breaking the news of Carrie's first pregnancy. But there don't appear to be any hard feelings. In a profile of the "First Fiancée," high society bible Tatler claimed that Cole very much still speaks fondly of his one-time sweetheart.
She was accused of trying to get jobs for her friends
Carrie Johnson found herself in the center of a political storm in 2021 when she was accused by Dominic Cummings, her future husband Boris Johnson's former aide, of trying to blag her friends a job at Downing Street.
The strategist, viewed by many as the mastermind behind Brexit and the prime minister's subsequent rise to power, was speaking at an official investigation into the government's heavily-criticized handling of the coronavirus pandemic when he brought Carrie's name into his testimony. Well, in another sign that the pair blatantly didn't get on, he referred to her as only the PM's girlfriend.
According to the i, Cummings alleged that one of the catalysts for his much-publicized resignation from Downing Street in November 2020 was Carrie's interference. "In particular she was trying to overturn the outcome of an official process about hiring a particular job in a way which was not only completely unethical but which was also clearly illegal," he said. If that wasn't enough, the one-time chief advisor also claimed that the former PR guru had thrown a hissy fit over an innocuous article published by The Times about her dog's temperament on the day that her boyfriend and his colleagues were deciding whether to impose a full national lockdown. The article was removed, per The Spectator, but not before it was archived by The Wayback Machine.
Carrie Johnson reportedly married to avoid feeling awkward
It's certainly one of the most novel reasons for wanting to walk down the aisle. According to various insiders, Carrie Johnson's surprise wedding to Boris Johnson in 2021 came about because she'd have found it awkward mixing with various first ladies (and the odd first husband) at the G7 summit as an unmarried woman.
Carrie was tasked with leading the party of other halves — which included the likes of Jill Biden, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, and Angela Merkel's spouse Joachim Sauer — during the all-important event. And she apparently felt it would be more becoming if she could introduce herself as Mrs. Johnson. The University of Warwick graduate allegedly also felt that a wedding ring would look better than an engagement one in front of more traditional delegates.
An insider told the Daily Mail, "It wouldn't have been impossible but it would have been awkward for her to go as a girlfriend. Some countries, such as Japan, are quite traditional about it — they want wives mixing with wives." The newlyweds may have had a certain monarch in mind, too. The queen was said to have expressed discomfort when Boris and Carrie stayed at her royal residence in 2019 as an unwed couple, per The Sun.
The Johnsons were the subject of a wild conspiracy theory
Considering that even Boris Johnson's biographer doesn't seem to know his exact number of offspring, per The Washington Post, it seems unlikely that he'd try and magic another into existence. But that's what the prime minister and then-girlfriend Carrie Johnson were accused of doing after unveiling their first official photo of son Wilfred.
Yes, in July 2020, the couple hopped on Zoom with their little one to express their gratitude to the University College Hospital midwives who'd helped with the birth, per Sky News. But a snap taken from the call left certain skeptics convinced that the child featured was an imposter! The purported larger-than-average size of the tot — then just a few months old — appeared to be the main evidence. But the full head of blond hair, which suggested Wilfred had inherited at least one thing from his father, also added further weight to the conspiracy theory in the eyes of some, per The Spectator.
So why would the couple have resorted to such unusual tactics? Well, Indy 100 noted that "some people" had put forward the idea that the picture helped to take the focus away from a report about the involvement of Russia in the referendum on Brexit. The Johnsons are certainly committed to the stunt if that was the case. Several pictures of Wilfred — still looking relatively big for his age and with a Boris-esque mop — have emerged since.
Carrie Johnson once had acting ambitions
It turns out that advising various politicians from the Conservative party, which helped spark a constitutional crisis that The New York Times described as "alarming," wasn't the first goal Carrie Johnson had in mind for her career. The PR specialist initially wanted to be an actor.
In fact, Johnson even auditioned for a much-loved '00s British film starring Keira Knightley. No, it wasn't for the part of a much younger staff member who falls in love with a bumbling prime minister in "Love, Actually." The first lady unsuccessfully tried out for a role in the hit movie adaptation of Ian McEwan's period drama "Atonement."
In a 2019 interview with the Daily Mail, Johnson's former boyfriend Oliver Haiste claimed that she was left devastated after missing out: "I think her first passion was always to have been an actress. That's what she said at the time. But obviously it's such a difficult career to get into." According to Haiste, Johnson had previously showcased her talents in several amateur dramatic productions and was able to turn on the waterworks in a matter of seconds "on demand."
She advocates renting clothes
Having started to earn a salary of more than $100,000 per annum aged just 29, per the Daily Mail — and the small matter of being married to the British prime minister, of course — you'd expect Carrie Johnson to have the funds to splash out on the entire contents of her favorite high-end designer store. But when it comes to fashion, the first lady much prefers to borrow than to buy.
Yes, Johnson, who allegedly purchased gold wallpaper that cost over $1,100 a roll to redecorate her marital home, per the Daily Mail, is a keen advocate of renting clothes. According to Marie Claire, The Vampire's Wife, Alice Early, and Dolce & Gabbana outfits she sported for her stint leading the other halves during the G7 summit were all hired. Even the Christos Costarellos dress she wore while walking down the aisle was a loaned piece that cost her just $60 (compared to the retail price of approximately $4,000).
Who knows whether Johnson's love of slow fashion stems from her environmental concerns or simply a desire to save money? But either way, the industry is delighted to have her on board, with Chair of My Wardrobe HQ Jane Shepherdson telling Evening Standard, "It's very exciting for the future of fashion and its circularity to see that someone with Carrie's profile, and with so many options open to her, has chosen to champion fashion rental and a sustainable way of shopping."
Carrie Johnson is a PETA favorite
In 2020, Carrie Johnson joined an exclusive, and undeniably eclectic, list that includes Joaquin Phoenix, Pope Francis, and a monkey named Naruto when she was awarded the title "Person of the Year" by PETA.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals honored the one-time PR executive for her advocacy of several campaigns. On Twitter, she implored the general public to avoid any of the coconut-based products from Thailand that had been produced via slave labor monkeys and spoke out about the practice of wet markets — places where animals are sold like products. She also participated in an anti-whaling protest demo staged at the Japanese Embassy in London, per ITV. That's not even mentioning the campaigning against puffin killing practices in Iceland, the patronage of the Conservative Animal Welfare Association, or her Head of Communications position at animal charity Aspinall Foundation.
Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's managing director, explained specifically why Johnson had been recognized in a glowing press statement: "Carrie is a fearless force for good when it comes to making the world a kinder place for animals. PETA is delighted to honor her for using her platform to encourage people to spare a thought for our fellow animals whom we share this planet with."
She helped to keep a serial sex offender behind bars
In 2007, Carrie Johnson, only 19 years old at the time, was picked up by taxi driver John Worboys at a London bus stop and subsequently drugged in the back of his car. The then-University of Warwick student was left with no recollection of what occurred next, and she only reported the incident to the police force after seeing a newspaper report about a champagne-spiking cabbie, per The Times.
According to The Guardian, Worboys was initially sentenced to a minimum prison sentence of eight years for the 12 different attacks he was convicted of (although police believe his true victim count may surpass 100). In 2017, the Parole Board controversially claimed that the serial sex offender was no longer a threat and approved an impending release. But in a brave move, Johnson waived away her anonymity to launch a campaign that challenged this decision.
By promoting a CrowdJustice fundraiser, the future first lady helped to raise almost $90,000 in order to try and keep Worboys behind bars. And in 2018, the Parole Board's ruling was reversed. Johnson told Evening Standard, "The justice system and the Parole Board let us down very badly. We knew he remained a danger to women and we knew we had to do all we could to prevent anyone else being drugged, assaulted and raped. And now — finally — we've been listened to and proven right."
Inside Carrie Johnson's relationship with her father
Carrie Johnson is said to have a frosty relationship with her father, Matthew Symonds, the co-founder of the British newspaper The Independent. His love life is almost as eventful as her husband Boris Johnson's.
According to the Daily Mail, Matthew had an extramarital affair with Carrie's mother, Josephine McAfee. Josephine, who worked as a lawyer for his broadsheet, was also wed to someone else at the time. Her marriage ended, but she ended up raising her and Matthew's daughter alone after the journalist chose to stay put at the family home with his wife, Alison, and their three children. Matthew and Alison were still married and living together in London as of May 2021, per The Sun.
According to reports, Matthew wasn't much of a presence at all in Carrie's childhood. A friend of the family allegedly told the Daily Mail, "Carrie has said she considers him to have been a domineering, absentee father from her childhood. He did visit, from time to time, but Carrie has complained that he would come in and tell her and her mother what to do."
She has reportedly tried to damage several careers
Carrie Johnson hasn't just been accused of trying to give her friends jobs in high places. She's also been accused of trying to get rid of those she doesn't like who already occupy them. Yes, it seems as though you certainly don't want to get on the wrong side of the first lady if you're a part of Boris Johnson's government.
In 2021, Carrie was said to push for environment secretary George Eustice to lose his job over fears about a conflict of interest, according to the Daily Mail. The proud animal activist apparently believed that the politician was too closely aligned with the farming lobby and therefore would be compromised when it came to the subject of animal welfare. Although Carrie never responded to the claims, her one-time boss Zac Goldsmith described such allegations as sexist and completely fabricated, per The Times.
Just a few months later, though, Carrie was once again making headlines for allegedly making things difficult for senior Whitehall officials. On this occasion, it was a couple of civil servants that became her targets, per the Daily Mail. The University of Warwick graduate is said to have called for her other half to send one official packing over an argument about the controversial Downing Street refurbishment. She's also rumored to have made damaging remarks about another which then cost the individual in question a promotion.
Carrie Johnson's roots are with the opposition
We can only ponder what Carrie Johnson's grandparents and great-grandparents would think of a family member aligning themselves with the Conservative party and marrying a member whom the Financial Times described as a "divisive" leader to boot, for the former PR girl's roots lie squarely in the opposition.
Yes, Carrie's grandfather, the grandly-named John Beavan, Baron Ardwick, served as a Labour MEP for four years in the late 1970s and also worked as a political advisor to the left-leaning Mirror Group, per the Independent. His mother, Alderman Emily Beavan, meanwhile, was a staunch Labour activist who campaigned strongly for women's rights and the trade union movement in the working-class areas of Manchester, according to the Daily Mail.
That's all a far cry from the privileged upbringing Carrie enjoyed — she was privately educated at the Godolphin and Latymer School at a cost of approximately $27,000 per year, as reported by the Daily Mail. But Keele University history professor Karen Hunt told the Mirror that the first lady should be honored to be part of such a lineage: "[Emily] was the kind of woman who'd be known in the local community and someone people would go to for advice. Women like her who stood for the council acted as the bridge between the council and the community. They'd fight for things like new wash houses. I think anyone who found out she was their ancestor would be proud of that level of activism."
She briefly moved out of her partner's home
Carrie and Boris Johnson's honeymoon period didn't last particularly long. Just months after news of their relationship became public knowledge, the pair were involved in an altercation at the former's London home which resulted in the police being called, per The Guardian.
One particular neighbor made that call after growing concerned when they heard a woman's screams, various loud banging noises, and Carrie shouting at Boris to "get off" her. No fewer than three police vehicles arrived at the Victorian property to investigate the incident, but a spokesman later confirmed that there "were no offenses or concerns apparent to the officers and there was no cause for police action."
However, the row was still serious enough to cause a brief change to the couple's living arrangements. Boris had previously been residing at Carrie's home. But a friend told Tatler magazine that the former PR girl felt uncomfortable staying there in the wake of the argument and moved her belongings out "suitcase by suitcase." The now-married pair managed to patch things up, of course, and at the time of this writing, live in perfect harmony in a refurbished flat next door to Boris' Downing Street workplace.