Carrie Symonds has been the subject of intense media and public scrutiny over the last year. And as one half of the first unmarried couple to live in Downing Street, the recent move will no doubt bring about massive changes to 31-year-old Carrie Symonds’ life. Downing Street, synonymous as the PM’s political HQ, represents the pinnacle of a British political career.
Politicians for centuries have stumbled over themselves, with the hope of being able to one day being able to call it their home.
But for Prime Minister’s spouses, the case often couldn’t be more different, with many rumoured to have loathed accompanying their spouses through their tenure in office.
If historical precedent is anything to go by, Carrie Symonds may find political life a chore.
Express.co.uk spoke to historians with specialist knowledge of British Prime Ministers, to find out how PM’s spouses of the past have coped with the pressure of living with the nation’s leader.
Professor of Political History, Steven Fielding, told Express.co.uk: “Traditionally husbands and wives had rather separate lives, work and home was separate.
“For example David Lloyd George, when he was Prime Minister, kept his wife as far away as possible in north Wales.
“But that was because he was having an affair with his private secretary.
“She would be there at breakfast with leading editors of national newspapers, and everybody knew what was going on.
He added: “There are also some instances of Prime Minister’s wives, being rumoured at least, to not even share the same political views as their husbands.
“For example, Clemmie (Clementine) Churchill. Many people believe she was actually a Liberal, not a Tory.
“And she certainly didn’t share all of her husbands more reactionary views. Atlee’s wife was also rumoured to be a Tory.
“So we kind of assume husbands and wives would be on the same level, but even then they didn’t necessarily do that. But of course, they kept their views to themselves.
“Certainly the latter spouses weren’t necessarily comfortable with the kind of publicity and attention that they got, and they weren’t really used it. Some of them did prosper, though.
“It all depends on the spouse really. I think these days, more likely than not, given the world that journalists and politicians all live in, it is more like a bit of a bubble.”
Professor of Modern British History at Warwick, and expert in gender and politics, Sarah Richardson, revealed the PM’s wife who most hated Downing Street.
She said: “Perhaps the Prime Minister’s wife who hated Downing Street the most was Mary Wilson.
“In fact when Harold Wilson won the February 1974 election against expectations, she insisted they live nearby in Lord North St, Westminster, rather than Number 10.
“Mary was a published poet, she had objected to her husband entering politics, and she hated political life.“
With regards to Carrie Symonds, Professor Richardson draws comparisons with Tony Blair’s wife, Cherie.
She said: “Criticisms of Cherie Blair should demonstrate to Carrie Symonds the problems of maintaining a career and continuing her interest in politics, whilst avoiding allegations that she is interfering in government policy or unduly influencing her partner.
“Perhaps the person she should see as a role model is Sarah Brown (wife of Gordon Brown), who was able to lead and engage with a wide number of philanthropic and political projects (for example on maternal health, domestic violence and women in business), without being accused of using her position as wife of the Prime Minister for her own, or her friends or family’s, advantage.”
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