Boris Johnson MARRIES Carrie Symonds at Westminster Cathedral in ceremony so secret even top aides didn’t know about it

BORIS Johnson and Carrie Symonds even caught top Downing Street aides by surprise with their cloak-and-dagger nuptials.

Tourists visiting Westminster Cathedral on May 29, 2021 were also blissfully unaware it was about to host the wedding of the year.

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Posting on her personal Instagram, Carrie wrote: "Thank you for the kind messages. Very, very happy" along with a picture of her and Boris looking besotted on the big day.

At 2pm, half an hour after the church suddenly locked down, a limo containing Carrie swept into the piazza by the main west door.

She stepped out wearing a flowing white dress, but with no veil.

The Prime Minister, 56, and his bride, 33, then walked down the aisle of the tiny Lady Chapel to classical music and shared a kiss after their vows were read.

Their year-old son Wilfred was there to see the happy occasion, along with two official witnesses.

Today Boris and his new wife shared the first touching picture from their ceremony.

A source close to Carrie said: “They are both absolutely thrilled.

"The whole thing has been conducted amid great secrecy and planned meticulously.

“It was just their secret and that made the day so special.”

This morning, No10 confirmed: “The Prime Minister and Ms Symonds were married yesterday afternoon in a small ceremony at Westminster Cathedral.

"The couple will celebrate their wedding with family and friends next summer.”

The event was six months in the planning. Fewer than 30 guests had been invited, all of whom were told at the last minute.

They were thought to include Boris’s dad Stanley and sister Julia, who were seen at No10 yesterday.

A marquee was later spotted in the garden, with guests singing Don McLean’s American Pie.  

The ceremony was carried out by Father Daniel Humphreys, who baptised Wilfred last year.

Top No10 advisers were astonished when The Sun on Sunday informed them of the PM’s big day.

Conservationist and former Tory PR chief Carrie is his third wife.

Boris is the first PM to marry while in office in 199 years.

Cops mounted a massive security operation around the gathering, including several cars believed to be staffed with armed police.

A witness told how the cathedral went into lockdown around 1.30pm.

They said: “It was closed for about half an hour and they all came out after.

“It’s not often we have weddings here, and when they came out they were all bundled into a car. It looked like they didn’t want  anyone to know who it was.”

A member of staff said: “Yes, there was a wedding - it was the Prime Minister. His bride looked beautiful. She had a long dress with no veil. She looked made up.

“He was extremely happy, as you can imagine. He looked very smart  in a very dapper suit.

“She came down the aisle and he didn’t take his eyes off her. They read their vows then shared a kiss. They looked besotted.”

Another staff member  said: “I was shocked when I heard who was getting married. It was kept very quiet. We only knew yesterday. Security has been tight.”

The Byzantine-style cathedral, mother church of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, is 300 yards from  Victoria Station, and just a mile-and-a-half from Downing Street.

Big Issue seller Adrian Richmond, 52, was in the area at the time.

He said: “Somebody I recognise came out of a service there earlier in the day and said, ‘You won’t believe who’s getting married here later!’ He said, ‘It’s Boris Johnson’.

“My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. This is smack bang in central London."

Touchingly, he added: "I wish Boris the best of luck. I think he’s doing a terrific job in such difficult circumstances. It’s been such a tough year.

"He’s been through so much and nearly died. He deserves some happiness."

A Tory colleague of Boris remarked: “I was a bit surprised when he turned up for a meeting the other day with a  smart haircut.

"He wasn’t his usual unkempt self and the first thing that entered my mind was that he might be attending some sort of special occasion.

“I thought it might be a VIP summit but never suspected it might be a surprise wedding.”

Hours before the nuptials Carrie shared a picture on Instagram of Wilfred  in a field of bluebells —   possibly a nod to the wedding tradition of “something blue”.

In the post, Carrie, who works for the Kent-based Aspinall Foundation, also   told how proud she was of its work rescuing elephants in Africa, calling it “truly amazing”.

It's thought Boris's previous marriages could have been recognised as annulled to allow him a Catholic wedding.

The newlyweds will make their first major appearance on the world stage  at the G7 summit in Cornwall next month.

The Sun on Sunday revealed that “First Lady” Carrie had been in touch with the partners of global leaders. 

She will meet US President Joe Biden’s wife Jill, who has confirmed her attendance.