Spouse_of_the_prime_minister_of_the_United_Kingdom

Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom

Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom

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To date, there have been forty-six women and three men who have been married to the British prime minister in office. There have also been four bachelor and nine widower prime ministers; the last bachelor was Edward Heath (1970–1974) and the last widower was Ramsay MacDonald (1924, 1929–1935). The Duke of Grafton (1768–1770) and Boris Johnson (2019–2022) are the only prime ministers to have divorced and remarried while in office.

Quick Facts of the United Kingdom, Residence ...

Current prime minister Rishi Sunak has been married to Akshata Murty since 2009.

Role and duties

The role of the British prime minister's spouse is not an official one, and as such, they are not given a salary or official duties. Over time the position has evolved, and spouses such as Cherie Blair have gained public attention through their own independent careers and achievements, as well as attending engagements such as the African First Ladies Summit.[1]

Cherie Blair, with Cate Haste, wrote a book about recent prime ministerial spouses, The Goldfish Bowl: Married to the Prime Minister, 1955–1997, in 2005.[2]

List of spouses

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See also

Notes

  1. Devonshire's wife Charlotte died in 1754.
  2. Mother of Baron Grenville.
  3. Mother of William Pitt the Younger.
  4. Anne's second marriage after the Earl of Upper Ossory.
  5. Shelburne's second marriage after Sophia Carteret.
  6. Daughter of the Duke of Devonshire.
  7. Portland's wife Lady Dorothy died in 1794.
  8. Melbourne's wife Lady Caroline died in 1828.
  9. Wellington's wife Catherine died in 1831.
  10. Russell's second marriage after Adelaide Lister.
  11. Aberdeen's first wife Catherine died in 1812 and his second wife Harriet died in 1833.
  12. Emily's second marriage after the Earl Cowper. Sister of the Viscount Melbourne.
  13. Mary's second marriage after Wyndham Lewis.
  14. Disraeli's wife Mary died in 1872.
  15. Rosebery's wife Hannah died in 1890.
  16. Asquith's second marriage after Helen Melland.
  17. Law's wife Annie died in 1909.
  18. MacDonald's wife Margaret died in 1911.
  19. Eden's second marriage after Beatrice Beckett.
  20. First male spouse. Thatcher's second marriage after Margot Kempson.
  21. Johnson's second marriage after Allegra Mostyn-Owen.[6]
  22. Wheeler was never in any official role as spouse of the prime minister as she and Johnson separated and began divorce proceedings in 2018.[lower-alpha 23] Their divorce was finalised by November 2020.[lower-alpha 24]
  23. "Boris Johnson and wife to divorce". BBC News. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  24. Coke, Hope (9 November 2020). "Marina Wheeler opens up about life post-Boris Johnson". Tatler. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

References

  1. [1]
    Mwanzi, Josephat (2 July 2013). "The first ladies club: Obama and Bush share stage in Africa". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  2. [2]
    Booth, Cherie; Cate, Haste (2005). The Goldfish Bowl: Married To The Prime Minister, 1955–1997. Random House. ISBN 978-0-09-946202-6.
  3. [3]
    "Sarah Brown: The new 'first lady'". BBC News. 28 June 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  4. [4]
    "Profile: Samantha Cameron". BBC News. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  5. [5]
    "Profile: Theresa May's husband Philip". BBC News. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  6. [6]
    Gillett, Francesca & Lucy Webster (29 April 2020). "Carrie Symonds: Who is Boris Johnson's fiancee?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  7. [7]
  8. [8]
    Shearing, Hazel & Kathryn Snowdon (30 May 2021). "Boris Johnson marries Carrie Symonds at Westminster Cathedral". BBC News. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  9. [9]
    Silverman, Rosa; Chandler-Wilde, Helen (5 September 2022). "Liz Truss's 'stoic' husband doesn't want 'massive public role'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  10. [10]
    Cope, Rebecca; Davies-Evitt, Dora (25 October 2022). "Meet Indian heiress Akshata Murty, the new Prime Minster [sic] Rishi Sunak's wife". Tatler. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
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