CARRIE Symonds revealed to her friends that she and Boris Johnson are engaged and expecting a baby in a heartfelt Instagram post.
Ms Symonds wrote that the couple had a “baby hatching early summer” and that she wanted her friends to “find out from me”.
The couple first went public with their relationship during Mr Johnson’s bid for the Tory leadership in June 2019, and are thought to have been dating for around two years.
Following Mr Johnson’s victory in the contest, they became the first unmarried couple to live together in Downing Street.
The news comes less than two weeks since a court paved the way for Mr Johnson to finalise his divorce from estranged wife of 25 years Marina Wheeler QC, from whom he separated in 2018.
Writing on Instagram, Carrie said: “I wouldn’t normally post this kind of thing on here but I wanted my friends to find out from me…
“Many of you already know but for my friends that still don’t know, we got engaged at the end of last year… and we’ve got a baby hatching early summer.”
A No.10 source added: “Boris and Carrie are both delighted at this news.
“They have both known for a while but have kept it under wraps until the pregnancy progressed.
“It partly explains why he has been lying low recently – although he works flat out and that won’t change.
“Carrie is thrilled and she will also continue to work on her environmental projects.”
FIRST PM MARRIAGE IN 200 YEARS
The last prime minister to marry while in office was Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, prime minister from 1812 to 1827, who married Mary Chester a year after the death of his first wife Louisa Jenkinson in 1821.
The new arrival will be the third baby born to a serving prime minister in recent history.
Tony Blair’s wife Cherie gave birth to son Leo in May 2000, three years after her husband’s first election victory.
David Cameron and wife Samantha welcomed daughter Florence Rose Endellion Cameron just three months after the formation of the coalition government in 2010.
The last babies born to prime ministers before Leo and Florence arrived more than 150 years ago, when Lord John Russell’s wife Lady Russell gave birth to two sons, George and Francis, during her husband’s first stint in office, which ran from 1846 to 1852.
‘WONDERFUL NEWS’
Responding to the announcement on twitter, Sajid Javid, who before resigning earlier this month served for six months as Boris’s chancellor, wrote: “Congratulations @carriesymonds @BorisJohnson wonderful news!”
Former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson added: “Congratulations to @BorisJohnson and @carriesymonds.”
Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said the announcement was “lovely news”.
Boris was quizzed by Sun readers last year about a possible proposal.
One asked Boris: “Are you going to buy her a rock any time soon? Every girl likes a diamond”.
“That is a very good question,” he said.
“I have got to take my hat off to you, you have just asked me the question that no journalist has asked.
“They are just too embarrassed”.
Carrie’s profile has been on a steady rise since their relationship came to light in September 2018.
Last week it was revealed she had been given her own adviser – cementing her position.
Carrie grew up in East Sheen, South West London, and attended the prestigious Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith.
She worked for eight years as a communications and PR guru for Conservative Campaign Headquarters alongside leading Tories including Michael Gove and Amber Rudd.
The lucrative role led to her being named as the UK’s second most powerful public relations professional by PR Week magazine.
She quit in around August 2018, before starting at Bloomberg as PR for their Vibrant Oceans programme.
The couple pictured at the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Albert Hall late last year
