Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, is celebrating his 60th birthday today – one of the most famous and at the same time the most controversial political figures of our time. His career, which spans journalism, politics and literature, is a vivid example of a combination of charisma, intelligence, scandal and ambiguity.
IA “FACT” collected the most interesting facts from the biography of Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson has a reputation as one of the most loyal supporters of Ukraine among Western leaders, especially after the start of full-scale war with Russia in 2022. However, his refusal to sign the Istanbul Accords raises questions about his genuine support for Ukraine.
In November 2023, the head of the Servant of the People faction and a member of the Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence of Ukraine, David Arakhamia, made a sensational admission. According to him, the parties were close to a peaceful settlement, but Boris Johnson, who was then Prime Minister of Great Britain, intervened in the process. It was claimed that it was he who refused Kyiv to sign the Istanbul Agreements. However, the ex-head of the British government himself denied these accusations in an interview with The Times in January 2024. However, Russia also claims that Johnson was involved in the breakdown of the peace treaty.
It should be noted that after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Johnson actively supported the provision of military aid to Ukraine. Great Britain, under his leadership, provided a significant amount of weapons, including NLAW anti-tank systems, artillery and other military equipment.
Johnson has repeatedly spoken out in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He also actively worked to strengthen the international coalition against Russian aggression, promoting the introduction of sanctions against Russia. Johnson visited Ukraine several times during the war, which was a symbol of support at the highest level.
Boris Johnson’s refusal to ratify the Istanbul Accords during his prime ministership was explained by some conservative politicians as the need to preserve sovereignty and national law. However, this caused criticism from a large number of Ukrainian and foreign politicians.
Fact 1. Descendant of the royal family
Born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson on June 19, 1964 in New York City, he was an ambitious child who said he wanted to be “king of the world.” He was born into an upper-class bohemian English family in New York and was one of six siblings, among whom competition was fierce.
Boris Johnson is a descendant of the royal family through his paternal grandmother – Yvonne Eileen Williams, known as “Grandma Butter” In turn, she was a descendant of the German Prince Paul von Württemberg, who was also a direct descendant of the British King George II. This connection makes Boris Johnson distantly related to the British royal family. His grandmother, Yvonne Eileen Williams, was born with genealogical connections that trace back to George II, one of the kings of Great Britain. So, while Boris Johnson is not a direct descendant of the royal family, he has hereditary links to important figures in European monarchy through his family line.
In 1973, when his parents’ marriage broke up, he went to boarding school in England and later won a scholarship to the country’s most prestigious private school, Eton. Johnson was then educated at privileged institutions: Eton College and Oxford University.
Fact 2. Journalistic errors
Before becoming a famous politician, Boris Johnson had many years of experience as a journalist, which influenced his public image and speaking style. He began his career as a trainee correspondent at The Times newspaper. Already at this stage, Johnson was involved in a public scandal by inventing a quote that led to criticism of his journalistic methods. He lost his job after falsifying a quote, an incident he later called “the biggest fraud” and added that it was the biggest mistake he had ever made in his life.
In the late 1980s, Boris Johnson worked in Brussels as a correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, where he wrote about the activities of the European Commission. His articles often caused controversy because they tended to distort facts and use provocative rhetoric. For example, his description of Muslim women in hijabs as “mailboxes” and his comparison of Hillary Clinton to a “sadistic nurse in a mental institution” have been heavily criticized. Johnson eventually apologized for his material.
Despite all that, Johnson found success at The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator, where he gained notoriety for his flamboyant writing style and ability to create resonance.
Fact 3. Political activity
While working as an editor, he joined then-Conservative leader Michael Howard’s shadow cabinet, but was fired after hiding the truth that he was having an affair on the side.
A year later, he found himself back in the shadow cabinet under new leader David Cameron. They studied together at both Eton and Oxford, and Johnson called the fact that his new leader was younger than him “a personal injury”.
Johnson retired as editor of the Spectator, quickly becoming a recognizable figure on television as a frequent guest on the BBC comedy show Have I Got News For You. His clumsy and eccentric figure attracted the attention of the audience, but despite his mocking image, he had great ambitions.
The opportunity to climb the political career ladder appeared in 2007, when Johnson put forward his candidacy from the Conservatives for the post of mayor of London. To the surprise of many, he won a convincing victory and gained more than a million votes, and in four years he was re-elected again – although not with such an overwhelming, but still significant majority.
After working as the mayor of London, Johnson joined the Parliament of Great Britain, and then headed the Conservative Party and became the Prime Minister. His style of speaking and communication remained characteristic of a former journalist: he often uses lively, intriguing language and is ready for non-standard statements.
That is, Boris Johnson moved from a journalistic career to active political activity, retaining some of his style and communication techniques, which arouse both support and criticism. His journalistic background influenced his ability to attract public attention and lead public debates on political topics.
As mayor, he gained notoriety for his initiatives to improve transportation and protect the environment, but also drew criticism for his sometimes inappropriate comments and behavior.
As mayor, he oversaw the organization of the 2012 London Olympic Games – hanging from a rope, merrily waving British flags.
Johnson also began planning the construction of a bridge with gardens across the Thames – a controversial and expensive project that was later never implemented.
After serving as mayor, Johnson was elected Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruslip.
After a relatively quiet year in which he was hardly heard from, Johnson returned to the headlines when he announced he would campaign for a referendum on Britain leaving the EU. It was a blow to David Cameron, who had hoped Johnson would channel his charisma to instead encourage voters to remain in the EU.
His support for Brexit in 2016 was a turning point in his political career. The campaign to leave the EU, which he actively supported, led to his further rise in popularity among hardliners.
Fact 4. Bicycle initiatives
As the mayor of London for two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016, Boris Johnson introduced bicycle rental in the city, known as “Boris bikes”. He actively supported the use of bicycles as a means of transportation and a way to reduce congestion in the city, and he himself often used a bicycle to get around.
Fact 5. Lover of women
British tabloids often mention Boris Johnson as a man who was constantly kicked out of the house by his ex-wife Marina Wheeler due to adultery. Marina Wheeler is Johnson’s second wife, whom he married immediately after divorcing his student sweetheart Allegri Mostyn-Owen. He is currently in his third marriage.
Boris had four children with Marina Wheeler. During this time, there were other novels in Johnson’s life, which were actively written about in the yellow press. One such romance lasted four years with the writer Petronella Wyatt. Boris was kicked out for the second time for having an affair with Helen McIntyre, from whom his daughter was born.
The marriage to Carrie Symonds, a publicist, broke up in 2018 after their affair was publicized. Carrie is 36 years old and is significantly younger than Boris by 28 years.
Fact 6: Father of many children
Boris Johnson has a large family, his 8 children from several marriages are actively engaged in their own affairs and study at prestigious universities.
Lara, who was born 31 years ago, works as a journalist for Vogue and Tatler. Millo, 29, is studying at Oxford University, while her younger sister, Kasia, 27, is a well-known writer. As for Teodor, 25 years old, there is no information about him.
In May 2021, Boris Johnson married Carrie Symonds. In April 2020, she gave birth to their son Wilfred, in December 2021 – daughter Romy, and in July 2023 – son Frank.
Fact 7. The famous hairstyle that became a meme
Boris Johnson is known for his signature naughty hairstyle, which has become the subject of jokes and memes. He has publicly stated that his hairstyle is an integral part of his personality and an expression of his individuality. Despite the criticism and joking comments about his hairstyle, he has no intention of changing it. Information about Boris Johnson’s hairstyle is widely known and often discussed in the media and social networks.
Fact 8. Made fun of Putin on horseback
In June 2022, as British Prime Minister at a G7 meeting, Boris Johnson used humor to criticize Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who at the time made threats about nuclear weapons. Johnson laughed at Putin because of his photo shoot while riding a horse half-naked, suggesting that his colleagues also show their “muscles”.
Fact 9. Partying during the lockdown and losing your job
In 2020, during the strict lockdown imposed by his own government, Johnson held several parties, for which he received a significant amount of criticism from the public.
Fact 10. Arrival in Ukraine
During the full-scale invasion at the beginning of the conflict, paintings of the British Prime Minister appeared on the streets of downtown Kyiv. Boris Johnson is known for his great popularity in Ukraine for actively supporting the country during the Russian aggression. He was one of the first world leaders to visit Ukraine at the beginning of the invasion.
Paintings depicting Boris Johnson were presented at exhibitions in Kyiv, and songs were dedicated to him.
Since the beginning of February 2022, Johnson has been actively supporting Ukraine and has personally met with Volodymyr Zelenskyi several times. On the second anniversary of the start of the full-scale invasion, he visited Kyiv and expressed his belief that Ukraine would definitely win.
Contradiction in leadership
Johnson was often criticized for his actions and statements. On the one hand, his charisma and ability to communicate with the general public made him a popular leader. On the other hand, he was often accused of breaking promises, manipulation and unpredictability.
Some key points of contention:
- During the pandemic, Johnson was criticized for his slow response to the crisis, as well as for hosting parties at the residence during the quarantine, which caused significant public outrage.
- After his former close adviser Dominic Cummings was forced out of Downing Street, he gave a scathing report to the select committee in May 2021, saying thousands of people had died needlessly because Johnson delayed the introduction of the lockdown and ignored advice scientists
Cummings said his former boss was “unfit to be” prime minister.
An investigation was also opened against Johnson in connection with the expensive design renovation of the apartment on Downing Street, where he lived with his family, which was paid for by a donor from the conservative party.
The prime minister was eventually cleared of suspicion by his own ethics adviser, Lord Heydt, but he said Johnson had shown a lack of respect for his role.
Then came a series of allegations of corruption and nepotism, as well as disregard for standards and rules of conduct.
In November 2021, when the Daily Mirror tabloid first reported parties in Downing Street while London was in lockdown.
Just over a week later, another bombshell was dropped when a video from 2021 emerged of Downing Street staff laughing and joking about hosting a Christmas party.
Johnson told deputies he was “outraged” by the video and ordered an investigation. But the man responsible for it – Simon Case – was forced to resign after it was revealed that he had organized the meeting in his own office. Johnson admitted attending a Downing Street garden party during the first lockdown, but claimed he thought it was a work event. He was stunned by further revelations when The Telegraph revealed that Downing Street staff had been throwing drinking parties the night before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. He apologized to the Queen for the behavior of his staff at a time when the Queen herself was scrupulously following the coronavirus restrictions and was alone at her husband’s funeral.
- Johnson’s personal life often became the subject of scandalous discussions in the media. Divorce, remarriages and numerous children raised many questions about his stability as a leader.
- Johnson’s foreign policy towards the EU and the US has been both criticized and supported by various groups, reflecting the polarization of his personality on the international stage.
