Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom


To date, there have been forty-four women and two men who have been married to British prime ministers in office. There have also been four bachelor and nine widower prime ministers; the last bachelor was Edward Heath and the last widower was Ramsay MacDonald. To date, the Duke of Grafton is the only Prime Minister to have divorced and remarried while in office.
Current Prime Minister Boris Johnson is married to Marina Wheeler, but she did not join him in Number 10, due to their separation in 2018.
On 29 July 2019, it was announced that Carrie Symonds would move into Number 10 Downing Street with Johnson, making them the first unmarried couple to live in Downing Street. Symonds’ and Johnson’s engagement was announced on 29 February 2020.

Role and duties

The role of the British prime minister's spouse is not an official office 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.
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.

List of spouses