Who is Carrie Symonds, Boris Johnson's girlfriend?

Francesca Specter
·Yahoo Style UK deputy editor
Updated
Carrie Symonds (left) is the girlfriend of UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson. [Photo: Getty]
Carrie Symonds (left) is the girlfriend of UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson. [Photo: Getty]

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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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 24: New Prime Minister Boris Johnson's girlfriend Carrie Symonds (centre) waits for Boris to arrive at Number 10, Downing Street on July 24, 2019 in London, England. Boris Johnson, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, was elected leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party yesterday receiving 66 percent of the votes cast by the Party members. He takes the office of Prime Minister this afternoon after outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May took questions in the House of Commons for the last time. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Carrie Symonds (centre) waits for Boris to arrive at Number 10, Downing Street on July 24, 2019. [Photo: Getty]

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.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2019/01/26: Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's girlfriend Carrie Symonds (R) with Boris Johnson's father Stanley Johnson (C) are seen holding placards during the protest against Japanese Whaling in central London. (Photo by Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Carrie Symonds (right) with Boris Johnson's father Stanley Johnson (centre) holding placards during the protest against Japanese Whaling in central London. [Photo: Getty]

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.

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”.