Carrie Symonds, the fiancé of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, gave birth to a baby boy yesterday morning. It brought a difficult month for the couple to a happier ending after the Prime Minister spent time in intensive care for coronavirus, with Ms Symonds unable to visit him due to social distancing regulations.

A spokesperson for the couple said: “The Prime Minister and Ms Symonds are thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning.

“Both mother and baby are doing very well. The PM and Ms Symonds would like to thank the fantastic NHS maternity team.”

Betting shops have said punters are placing their bets on Wilfred being the name of baby Johnson, with an announcement expected within the coming days.

While it may seem unusual, Wilfred is an unsurprising choice, as it was the name of Mr Johnson’s grandfather.

READ MORE

• Captain Tom congratulates Boris and Carrie on baby news ‘Delighted!’

Who was Wilfred Johnson?

Born Osman Wilfred Kemal, Wilfred Johnson is the grandfather of Boris and his two siblings, Rachel and Jo Johnson.

Boris’ great-grandfather, and Wilfred’s father, was Ali Kemal – a Turkish journalist, editor and diplomat who was brutally murdered in 1922.

Born in 1867 to a mother of Circassian heritage (a region along the northeast shore of the Black Sea), Kemal’s job as a journalist allowed him to travel extensively, taking him to Switzerland where he met Winifred Brun.

They married in London and had Osman Wilfred Kemal.

Kemal served as a minister to Mehmed VI, the last ruler of the Ottoman Empire, but as Turkey fought for its independence, Ali Kemal, who backed a British protectorate, fell foul of nationalist sentiment.

While travelling to Ankara to stand trial in 1922, he was dragged off a train and killed by a mob.

He left behind son, then called Osman, who was living in London at the time.

DON’T MISS
Captain Tom birthday: Will Captain Tom be knighted?
Carrie Symonds: Who is Carrie Symonds? How old is Carrie Symonds?
Carrie Symonds children: How many children does Carrie Symonds have?

READ MORE

• UK lockdown to last until JUNE – Boris Johnson to dismiss May 7 end

Living in the UK, Osman later adopted his middle name Wilfred due to the Ottoman Empire’s allegiance with Germany in the First World War.

Wilfred later married Irene Williams, and they had Stanley Johnson, the Prime Minister’s father, in 1940.

But it’s not just Boris who has an incredible family history – his latest child will have incredible ancestors on both sides.

Both Carrie and Boris come from a long line of journalists, with Ms Symonds being the daughter of the Independent newspaper founder Matthew Symonds and Josphine McAfee.

Her grandfather was John Beavan, Baron Ardwick, a former political journalist and Labour member of the EU parliament.

Mr Johnson has previously been a journalist himself, working for several national newspapers, most famously The Telegraph, in which he had a column up until his premiership began.

Other names lined up for little one include Winston, after the PM’s idol Winston Churchill, Alexander, Stanley and Luis, after the Portuguese nurse who helped save the Prime Minister’s life.

Baby Johnson is the first infant to be born to a prime minister since David and Samantha Cameron had Florence in 2010.

Mr Johnson is believed to be the father of six children.

He has four children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler: Lara Lettice, 26, Milo Arthur, 24, Cassia Peaches, 22, and Theodore Apollo, 20.

Mr Johnson has returned to work today amid the coronavirus crisis, as death numbers surge after care home figures were announced alongside hospital deaths for the first time yesterday.

Source: Read Full Article