Boris and Carrie Johnson are to hold a wedding party on Saturday at the Cotswolds estate of a major Tory donor.
The outgoing prime minister, 58, and his wife, 34, will host family and friends at 18th-century mansion Daylesford House in Gloucestershire, owned by Anthony Bamford, the chair of construction equipment manufacturer JCB.
Johnson abandoned plans to hold the celebration at the prime minister’s official country residence, Chequers in Buckinghamshire, after allegations that he was using the event to delay his departure from office.
A huge white marquee topped with bunting has been erected in the grounds of Daylesford House. The event will celebrate the couple’s wedding that took place in a low-key private ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in May 2021 during Covid restrictions.
Guests will be able to relax on hay bales placed outside the tent and eat and drink at casks and small tables as they enjoy views across meadows and orchards, according to reports.
Lord Bamford, 76, is covering at least some of the cost of the party at the Grade I-listed mansion, the Mirror reported.
The billionaire entrepreneur, who supported Johnson’s successful leadership bid in 2019, has given more than £10m in donations and gifts to the Conservatives since 2001.
The prime minister, who has been married twice before, has regularly mentioned JCB in speeches and events and visited its Gurajat plant during a trip to India earlier this year.
He crashed a digger displaying the slogan “Get Brexit Done” through a wall of fake bricks marked “Gridlock” during a visit to a JCB factory in a stunt during the 2019 general election campaign.
When asked about the wedding celebrations, No 10 declined to comment on the “private matter”.
