Boris Johnson: How many children does the prime minister have?

On Wednesday 29 April, Boris Johnson announced that his fiancée Carrie Symonds had given birth to a baby boy.

A spokesperson for the prime minister and his partner said both mother and baby were “doing very well” after the birth in a London hospital.

“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 statement read.

”The PM and Ms Symonds would like to thank the fantastic NHS maternity team.“

While this is Ms Symonds’ first child, Mr Johnson is more familiar with the experience of parenthood. However, the exact number of offspring the prime minister has remains unclear.

Here is everything you need to know about Mr Johnson’s children, including the latest arrival.

When was the prime minister’s youngest baby born?

The youngest of Mr Johnson’s children is his son with Carrie Symonds who was born on 29 April 2020.

As of yet, the couple have not revealed the name for the baby boy, who is understood to be doing well along with his mother, who remains in the hospital.

The couple first announced that they were expecting a child in February and told the public that the child would be born in the early summer.

How many other children does Boris Johnson have?

It is believed that the prime minister has seven children, however he has not officially confirmed the exact number.

Even Mr Johnson’s Wikipedia page provides a rather confusing answer, suggesting he has “five or six”. The page doe not appear to have been updated following the birth of the prime minister’s child with Ms Symonds.

What is known is that the prime minister and his second wife, Marina Wheeler, who separated in 2018, have four children together: Lara Lettice, 27, Milo Arthur, 25, Cassia Peaches, 23, and Theodore Apollo, 21.

Mr Johnson also has a fifth child, Stephanie Macintyre, who was fathered as a result of an affair with art consultant Helen Macintyre.

The Appeal Court ruled in 2013 that the public had a right to know that he had fathered a daughter during an adulterous liaison while Mayor of London in 2009.

“The core information in this story, namely that the father had an adulterous affair with the mother, deceiving both his wife and the mother’s partner and that the claimant, born about nine months later, was likely to be the father’s child, was a public interest matter which the electorate was entitled to know when considering his fitness for high public office,” the court said.

Why is the number of children Mr Johnson has vague?

During the court proceedings, it was alleged that Stephanie Macintyre was one of two children the prime minister fathered as a result of an affair.

The three appeal court judges said: “It was not material to the judge’s conclusion whether contraceptive precautions were taken.

“What was material was that the father’s infidelities resulted in the conception of children on two occasions.”

Has the prime minister ever spoken publicly about his children? 

Boris Johnson has famously diverted questions about his family and personal life, especially during the election campaign in 2019.

During a radio interview with LBC, presenter Nick Ferrari asked the prime minister how many children he had and if he was “fully involved” in their lives.

The prime minister responded: “I love my children very much but they are not standing at this election.

”I’m not therefore going to comment on them.“

He added: ”I am not going to put them onto the pitch in their election campaign when I think what people want to hear is what my plans are for the country, what this government is determined to do and how we are going to take this country forward.

“That is the way all parties should be judged.”

The Independent has contacted Downing Street for further comment on the birth of the prime minister and Ms Symonds’ baby.