UK PM Boris Johnson weds fiancee in secret ceremony

London: UK PM Boris Johnson has married his fiancee Carrie Symonds in a secret ceremony at the Westminster Cathedral in front of about 30 close friends and family members, a media report said on Sunday.

In its report, Daily Mail said that the 56-year-old Johnson exchanged vows with Symonds, 33, on Saturday morning, becoming the first Prime Minister to marry in office since Lord Liverpool wed Mary Chester in 1822.

But the Downing Street has not confirmed the development yet. This is Johnson's third marriage.

The couple were engaged on the Caribbean island of Mustique in December 2019 and have one-year-old son, Wilfred.

A Westminster Cathedral spokesperson told the Sunday Times: "On Saturday May 29, the wedding of Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson took place in Westminster Cathedral.

"The bride and groom are both parishioners of the Westminster Cathedral parish and baptised Catholics. All necessary steps were taken, in both church and civil law, and all formalities completed before the wedding."

According to the Daily Mail report, the development came six days after Johnson and Symonds "sent out save-the-date cards to guests telling them to keep Saturday, July 30, 2022 free for a marriage celebration".

A small number of church officials were involved in preparations for the Catholic ceremony, which was officiated by Father Daniel Humphreys, the Daily Mail added.

Under the UK's current Covid restrictions, there is a limit of 30 guests at weddings.

"Wilfred attended the wedding, as did two official witnesses," said the report, adding that Johnson's siblings and his father were also present at the ceremony. Members of the public were asked to leave Westminster Cathedral just after 1.30 p.m., it added.

Although there was no official confirmation of the wedding, congratulatory messages were posted on social media, the BBC reported. Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey tweeted: "Congratulations @BorisJohnson and @carriesymonds on your marriage today."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster also wished them a "huge congratulations" on the micro-blogging site. Symonds was first romantically linked to Johnson by the media in early 2019.

She had worked for the Conservative Party since 2009 and worked on Johnson's 2012 campaign to be re-elected as Mayor of London.