A week ago, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and his fiancée, Carrie Symonds, sent friends save-the-date cards for a wedding in July 2022, according to several British newspapers. But on Saturday, Johnson and Symonds were married in a stealth ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in London, according to two tabloids, The Mail on Sunday and The Sun.
Johnson, 56, moved into his official residence in Downing Street with Symonds in 2019 before his divorce from his second wife, Marina Wheeler, had been completed. Symonds gave birth to a son, Wilfred, last spring, only weeks after Johnson had survived a near-fatal bout with Covid-19.
It is the third marriage for Johnson and the first for Symonds, 33, who has recently come under scrutiny for her role in an expensive refurbishment of the prime minister’s official quarters at Downing Street.
The afternoon wedding, in London’s main Roman Catholic cathedral — less than a mile from No. 10 Downing St. — was carried out in extreme secrecy, according to The Mail and The Sun. Even Johnson’s close aides were not told in advance of the ceremony. About 1:30 p.m., according to The Sun, the church was abruptly cleared of visitors, and Johnson and his bride pulled up in a limousine.
In accordance with coronavirus restrictions, there were only 30 guests — including Johnson’s father, Stanley — all of whom had been invited at short notice. Symonds wore a long white dress but no veil, according to The Sun.
The wedding was not confirmed by Downing Street. But news reports Saturday evening drew congratulations from political figures, including Arlene Foster, the first minister of Northern Ireland.
Johnson met Symonds, a former Conservative Party communications aide, while he was married to Wheeler, with whom he has four children.