Carrie Johnson

Caroline Louise Beavan Johnson (née Symonds), born on 17 March 1988, is an English media consultant and politician's spouse. She serves as a senior advisor to the ocean conservation charity Oceana and is a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation. She is married to Boris Johnson, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022.

Family and Early Life

Symonds was born in London to Matthew Symonds, a co-founder of The Independent, and Josephine McAfee, a lawyer. Her paternal grandfather was John Beavan, Baron Ardwick, a former editor of the Daily Herald and a Labour Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Her paternal grandmother was Anne Symonds, a BBC World Service journalist. She is the result of an extramarital affair between her parents, both of whom were married to others at the time. Symonds was raised by her mother in East Sheen, a suburb in southwest London.

Education

She attended Godolphin and Latymer School, a private girls' day school, from 1999 until 2006. She pursued higher education at the University of Warwick, graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and Theatre Studies.

Early Career and Political Involvement

Initially planning a career in acting, Symonds auditioned unsuccessfully for the 2007 film "Atonement." She later worked in marketing before entering politics. In 2009, she joined the Conservative Party as a press officer and worked at Conservative Campaign Headquarters. She campaigned for Boris Johnson during his 2010 London mayoral bid and for Zac Goldsmith as a Member of Parliament.

Symonds served as a media special adviser to Conservative Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid, then Secretary of State for Communities, Local Government and Housing, and John Whittingdale, then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. She was present at the launch of Conservative Friends of Russia (later the Westminster Russia Forum) and attended several meetings thereof.

In 2018, Symonds became the Conservative Party's head of communications. She departed from this role later that year, transitioning to a public relations position at Oceana. Reports indicated her departure was linked to allegations of poor performance and unjustified expenses claims, although some sources claimed the accusations were part of a smear campaign.

Subsequent Public Work

In 2021, Symonds took up a senior communications role at the Aspinall Foundation, a wildlife charity, although by August 2025, the foundation declined to confirm her current employment status. She holds a patronage position with the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation.

Involvement in the John Worboys Case

In 2007, at age 19, Symonds was assaulted by taxi driver John Worboys, who was later convicted of multiple sexual assaults. Symonds testified at his trial, describing her experience of being drugged and assaulted. She publicly discussed her victimization, advocating against Worboys's early release and participating in fundraising for legal challenges related to his parole.

Personal Life

Symonds previously had a relationship with journalist Harry Cole. Her relationship with Boris Johnson began in 2018 while he was married to Marina Wheeler. Following Johnson's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2019, Symonds moved into the flat above 11 Downing Street, marking her as the first unmarried partner of a Prime Minister to reside there officially. She was denied entry to the United States in 2019 due to visa restrictions associated with visits to Somaliland.

She announced her pregnancy in early 2020, shortly after Johnson's divorce from Wheeler was finalized. Their son, Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson, was born on 29 April 2020. Symonds was baptized into the Catholic Church, reflecting her religious affiliation. She married Boris Johnson in a secret ceremony on 29 May 2021 at Westminster Cathedral, in a Catholic service attended by thirty guests.

The couple has four children: Wilfred (born 2020), Romy Iris Charlotte (born December 2021), Frank Alfred Odysseus (born July 2023), and Poppy Eliza Josephine (born May 2025). Symonds experienced a miscarriage earlier in 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she received a fixed penalty notice for breaching pandemic regulations in April 2022, which she paid.

Political Influence and Public Perception

Symonds has been noted for her influence on Boris Johnson’s political decisions, including policy matters such as the government's approach to animal culls. She was involved in debates over the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat and was reportedly influential in personnel decisions within the Prime Minister's office.

She has also been a controversial figure, with some commentators suggesting her influence has been exaggerated, while others note her active role in political and environmental campaigns. Her influence and activities have occasionally led to public and media scrutiny.