A whirlwind romance, a rumored affair, and a secret marriage.
Carrie Johnson is known as the U.K.'s equivalent to a first lady, but what's she really like?
Keep watching for a look inside her life and career.
Before marrying Boris Johnson, Carrie Johnson was known as Carrie Symonds, born on St. Patrick's
Day, 1988.
Raised by her mother, Johnson grew up in a leafy, upscale area of Southwest London called
East Sheen, where she attended a prestigious private school called the Godolphin and Latymer
School, according to the Daily Mail.
When it came time for college, Johnson studied theater and art history at the University
of Warwick in Coventry, England.
Although she studied art history, Johnson ultimately didn't end up working in the art
world.
Johnson instead got a job working for Zac Goldsmith, a member of parliament who represented
Richmond.
Johnson used the role as a stepping stone to move to the conservative party's press
office, where she rose in the ranks and worked on her future husband's re-election campaign
when he ran for mayor of London in 2012.
Eventually, she became a special adviser to Culture Secretary John Whittingdale.
In 2017, Johnson returned to the conservative party headquarters, becoming the youngest
director of communications for the party at the age of 29.
Using her experiences in this field, Johnson went on to build a career combining these
skills with her passion for animals and the environment.
In January 2021, Johnson took a position as ​​head of communications at the Aspinall
Foundation, a British animal conservation charity that operates several wildlife parks.
One of Johnson's biggest passions is animals, and, in addition to spending much of her career
on helping them and the environment, she's long supported causes relating to the issue.
In 2017, she was named patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation.
One of the animal cruelty issues she's worked on is banning the ivory trade in the U.K.,
and, according to the Daily Mail, Johnson was influential in getting the Ivory Act passed
to prevent items made from elephant ivory being sold or imported in Great Britain.
She's also spoken out about monkey slave labor and encouraged British supermarkets to ban
the sale of coconut milk and coconut water brands taking advantage of monkeys to help
make their products.
In 2019, the Daily Mail reported on Johnson's excitement over badger culls, the killing
of thousands of badgers, being canceled in the U.K.
The new restrictions were said to have happened due to her alleged influence over the prime
minister on the topic after meeting with the Badger Trust's chief executive.
"It's a cull that has been shrouded in secrecy and executed in the black of night."
Back when Carrie Johnson, then still known as Carrie Symonds, was still single and working
in politics, she took part in the then-mayor of London's 2012 re-election campaign.
His name was Boris Johnson, and later he'd become her husband, but, as far as we know,
the two weren't officially linked until 2018.
At the time, Boris was married to his second wife, Marina Wheeler, but the Daily Mail reported
that he and Carrie were spotted having dinner together on Valentine's Day in 2018 and that
the future prime minister was seen dancing at Carrie's 30th birthday the following month.
Later that summer, the still-married Boris was spotted vacationing in Tuscany with Carrie
and a group of friends, according to the Mirror.
Boris announced his divorce from Marina in September 2018, and a wash of negative press
coverage engulfed Carrie, who was largely blamed for the marriage's breakdown in the
media.
The stories were so negative, in fact, that a group of women working in and around U.K.
politics gathered together to write an open letter about the mistreatment Carrie received
in the press.
So what is Carrie Johnson like behind the scenes?
Those close to her describe an upbeat, energetic person who cares deeply about the causes she
holds dear.
Her friend, Nimco Ali, wrote a heartfelt piece for Grazia about Boris Johnson's then-girlfriend
after he delivered his inaugural speech as prime minister.
Ali said they became friends when Carrie worked as the conservative party's communications
director and that she'd gone above and beyond in her role.
She also shared that Carrie wasn't a big fan of being scrutinized by the media but realized
headlines were part of the job and not the end of the world.
At the end of the day, her friend said Carrie was, quote, "a woman who gets things done,"
adding,
"You only have to meet her for a few minutes and her optimism and can-do spirit rubs off
on you."
Back in 2018, when Carrie was first linked to Boris Johnson, the Daily Mail described
her as, quote, "charming, fun, intelligent and passionate about politics."
A friend told the newspaper that Carrie wouldn't have approved of being a woman on the side
while Boris was married and that she had high morals.
Other sources said Carrie always acted and dressed a bit older than her age, and it wasn't
surprising that she was dating an older man because she was more accomplished than most
people her age.
"Ever since she came on the scene he's become a much trimmer figure, he's lost weight."
In September 2019, Carrie and Boris Johnson welcomed a new addition to Downing Street:
a rescue pup named Dilyn, according to BBC News.
The couple adopted the Jack Russell terrier mix from Friends of Animals Wales after he
was abandoned due to a crooked jaw, according to BBC.
Dilyn moved into some sweet new digs at Number 10 Downing Street and enjoyed life with his
family when, in 2020, allegations were published that the prime minister and his fiancée wanted
to re-home him.
According to the Daily Mail, Carrie drafted a letter in both of their names vehemently
denying the claims that they wanted to get rid of their dog.
Carrie wrote that the couple would be contacting the Independent Press Standards Organization
since The Times refused to print a correction to their story or issue an apology.
Ultimately, the prime minister didn't sign the letter, but the article was removed from
The Times' website.
Although their engagement was announced in February 2020, Boris Johnson and his new bride
didn't tie the knot until May 2021, and they kept their wedding a complete secret until
they released photos to the public.
"British Prime Minister Boris Johnson married Carrie Symonds in a secret ceremony this weekend."
The couple were married in London's Westminster Cathedral and headed to the prime minister's
Downing Street residence for a party that included a folk singalong, dancing next to
a fire pit, and an afternoon tea.
According to the country's health guidelines at the time, they were only allowed 30 guests.
The wedding was Carrie's first marriage and the third for the prime minister, and it was
reported that Boris' brother served as his best man.
Carrie Johnson has supported Boris Johnson in his role as prime minister and during his
resignation.
But questions about how much influence she actually had on the leader were raised in
February 2021 when a conservative think tank called The Bow Group suggested that an inquiry
should be made into Carrie's role at Number 10 Downing Street.
Mentioning how three of Carrie's friends received Downing Street jobs, Ben Harris-Quinney, the
Bow Group's chair, said the prime minister's wife doesn't play an official part for the
Tories or the British government.
However, he said, media reports made it seem she was, quote, "taking a central role in
running the country, without any authority or accountability to do so," according to
Sky News.
The Guardian, for example, discussed Carrie's dislike of Dominic Cummings, the prime minister's
chief advisor, and how she allegedly pushed for certain people to be appointed or not
appointed to government roles.
The newspaper also reported that Carrie could have proved influential in the U.K.'s backing
of more animal-friendly and environmentally-friendly laws.
Another article in The Guardian, however, shared the opinion that some people were jealous
of Carrie's political background and knowledge, thus accusing her of wielding unnecessary
influence.
"Really, it's her that holds the real power at number 10."
Downing Street denied the claims that Carrie had any kind of role in the government.
Even Samantha Cameron, the wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron, told the BBC
that the reports were unfair.
Other friends of Boris believe that Carrie has done more harm than good.
A friend reportedly told the Daily Mail that Marina was an important influence on Boris,
while Carrie's behavior has been, quote, "demanding rather than supplying."
Further, the friend described the internal affairs of the Johnsons' home at 10 Downing
Street as dysfunctional, with a second source alleging that Carrie was, quote, "the number
one problem" for the former prime minister.
Before he became prime minister, Boris Johnson served as the secretary of state for foreign
affairs from 2016 to 2018.
Boris was married, though in the middle of a divorce, when he reportedly tried to get
his then-girlfriend Carrie a senior position in the foreign ministry.
Rumors of the attempt were briefly circulating in the news before mysteriously disappearing.
But in June 2022, numerous outlets, including The Washington Post, began to cover the topic
again.
While Boris has repeatedly denied the allegations, BBC News has noted that two different sources
confirmed the story to the publication.
On top of that, political rival Labour MP Chris Elmore asked Boris directly if he had
attempted to recommend his wife to any job within the government or in an important role.
Boris replied,
"I know why the party opposite wants to talk about non-existent jobs in the media because
they don't want to talk about what's going on in the real world."
As for Carrie, she has not commented on the issue.
Carrie Johnson began to pull back from the public eye even before Boris Johnson left
his post as prime minister.
As The Guardian noted in May 2022, Carrie was often seen with Boris following his election
to Prime Minister, with the two being photographed together attending events.
But suddenly, it seemed like things changed.
As writer Catherine Bennett posited in The Guardian, Carrie was traditionally seen as
an asset to the political party of which she and her husband are members.
As Bennett put it,
"Isn't it possible that their leader, without a young and wholesome partner to signal a
joint claim on human status, could come to resemble some dung-caked, temporarily house-trained
beast reverting to its natural state?"
However, it seems that numerous scandals had forced Carrie into a semi-reclusive state.
Bennett also noted that despite those problems, Carrie still remained an important part of
Boris' political image.
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