Who is Carrie Symonds, Boris Johnson's girlfriend?
Carrie Symonds is the girlfriend of the UK’s new Prime Minister: 55 year old Boris Johnson.
The 31-year-old PR executive was present during the incoming PM’s address to the media yesterday, which took place outside 10 Downing Street in London.
For the public appearance, Symonds wore a £120 Ghost dress which sold out in mere moments, a sign of her sartorial influence to come.
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Who is Carrie Symonds?
Symonds has risen to public prominence as the significant other of Johnson, attending his Conservative party leadership campaign back in June.
She will move into a flat above Number 11 Downing Street with Johnson as he takes up his role as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, The Sun has reported today.
It is yet to be seen how much of a presence she will be in Johnson’s public engagements.
The UN predicts that unless we take serious action, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050. Seems a ridiculous thought. Time to act. #PlasticFreeJuly #PlasticPollution #plasticfree pic.twitter.com/3htwNLeUqy
— Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds) July 4, 2019
In her Twitter bio, she identifies as a “conservationist” and a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation. She has 27,400 followers at time of writing.
Education
Symonds was privately educated at Godolphin and Latmer School in south London.
She holds a first-class honours degree in theatre and history of art from the University of Warwick.
Working life
She formerly worked as the head of press at Conservative Campaign Headquarters, a role she left in August 2018, shortly before news of her and Johnson’s relationship were made public.
Ahead of this, she was a special advisor to two secretaries of states including Sajid Javid.
After leaving the Conservative Campaign, she worked as a PR for Bloomberg’s Vibrant Oceans programme. She now works as a senior advisor to ocean conservation charity Oceana.
Family
She is the daughter of Matthew Symonds, co-founder of The Independent, and Josephine McAffe – who worked as a lawyer for the publication.
Relationship with Boris Johnson
It is unknown how long Symonds and Johnson have been involved romantically.
However, news of their relationship first surfaced in September 2018, the same month Johnson and his wife Marina Wheeler announced they had separated “some time ago”.