Mr Johnson announced the happy news that his fiancée Carrie Symonds had given birth to a boy this morning. The Queen sent a private message congratulating the couple this afternoon, according to Buckingham Palace.
Mr Johnson is only the third Prime Minister to father a child while in office in modern history, as David Cameron’s daughter Florence was born in 2010 and former Labour leader Mr Blair welcomed his youngest son Leo into the world back in 2000. The latter event was a particular cause for celebration, as no baby had been born to a leader while in No.10 since 1850 before that.
It was unsurprising that the Queen sent her congratulations to the happy couple, back in May 2000, reporter Euan Ferguson explained the delight following Leo’s birth.
Writing in The Guardian, he explained: “At about noon, a large bouquet arrived from the Queen and Prince Philip.
“At least, we think it was.”
The reporter claimed the Royal Mail driver winked and said: “Can’t tell you who that was from, mate.
“More important even that…. [nodded to Downing Street].”
The publication also noted the debate sparked by the small crowd waiting to hear news over whether a royal birth was more or less important than a political birth.
Leo Blair was apparently 1000 to 1 odds on to become a Prime Minister one day at the time of his birth, while Mr Johnson’s son – as yet unnamed –stands at 8 to 1 odds, according to Coral Bookmakers.
Cherie Blair, Mr Blair’s wife, once revealed she conceived the Downing Street baby while staying at the Queen’s estate in Scotland, Balmoral.
Back in 2008, she wrote in her autobiography ‘Speaking for Myself’ that she had left her contraception at home during the royal visit, in September 1999.
Mrs Blair claimed that the previous year when she and her husband had visited the royals in Scotland, she had been horrified to find her belongings were all unpacked, including her toiletries.
She claimed, out of “sheer embarrassment” she decided to leave her contraceptive equipment out when packing for her 1999 Balmoral visit.
Talking about that night, she explained: “As usual up there, it had been bitterly cold, and what with one thing and another….”
However, Mr Blair’s former deputy communications officer told The Guardian in 2008 that it was actually the Prime Minister’s fault they did not use the contraceptives.
He said: “My recollection is actually that of Tony Blair saying to me that he had forgotten the contraceptives.”
News of Mrs Blair’s pregnancy left Downing Street shocked, especially as she herself had thought at 45 she was too old to conceive a child and assumed she was experiencing the menopause instead.
Ms Symonds, 32, announced that she was expecting a baby with Mr Johnson through an Instagram post in February.
She wrote: “Many of you already know but for my friends that still don’t, we got engaged at the end of last year… and we’ve got a baby hatching early summer. Feel incredibly blessed.”
Although not the first Prime Minister to have a child in office, he will be the first to marry in 250 years while sitting in No.10.