LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie are changing the venue of their planned wedding, an ally of the prime minister said on Friday, denying allegations that he is staying on in his caretaker role as a result.
The Mirror reported Thursday that Johnson, who has said he will resign, wants to remain in office for several months, in part because he plans to celebrate his marriage with a party at his official Chequers country residence later this month.
An ally of the prime minister, who asked not to be named, said it was completely absurd to “suggest” that the party’s plans were a reason for Johnson to remain in his caretaker role. The party will no longer be held at Chequers.
Asked about the report Thursday, a Downing Street spokeswoman said, “The prime minister has a strong sense of duty and will continue to serve the country until a new leader is in place, just to continue to meet his obligations to the public.”
In addition to his official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, the British prime minister traditionally uses Cheques, a 16th-century English country house north of the capital, as a private country retreat and a place to host world leaders and the occasional party.
Last year, during the coronavirus pandemic, Johnson married Carrie, 34, in a low-key, secret ceremony at Westminster Abbey in central London.
The couple’s Checkers wedding party was scheduled for July 30.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Kate Holton and Peter Graves)