If Carrie is sticking her oar into government business, we should be grateful
This week, Boris and Carrie’s relationship was in the spotlight. The question being asked was whether Carrie Symonds has undue influence over the Prime Minister, but really, the issue perplexing some people seems to be: “Why would he listen to Her?”
Happily, we can clear this one up right away: it’s because they are a couple – specifically, a Left brain, Right brain couple – and men listen to their partners. With a few exceptions, they listen pretty hard, because they respect their wives or girlfriends and, now that the world is no longer run exclusively by men, the female POV is rather useful. If Carrie is sticking her oar into government business, then we should be grateful for it; if she wasn’t banging on about green issues, animal welfare, needing women at the table, domestic violence, etc, Boris Johnson wouldn’t be giving any of it a second thought.
Her holding him to account is part of the plan. These two are not exactly a union of opposites – after all, they met on the job – but they are that familiar marital type: the powerful man and the woman who has power over the powerful man, who have very different priorities.
If anyone is genuinely surprised that Boris has found himself in one of these couples, they really haven’t been paying attention. Half the people we know are in Left brain, Right brain marriages (she was Remain he wasn’t; she wants the boys to learn ballet, he wants them to play rugby; she wanted a rescue dog, he didn’t) and the rest of us fall into the following categories:
Our Rules marriage
Dominic West and Catherine FitzGerald spring to mind. Lately they may have been more his rules, even so, you sense these two answer to no one’s expectations. Our Rules couples sign up for an adventure and both parties would rather anything than the stultifying predictability of a “My Wife and I” marriage.
My Wife and I Marriage
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have an MWandIM: they’re a team, but you know William is on bins, carving and driving, while Kate’s in charge of everything on the domestic front and ego stroking. Plenty of that going on.
Service to Her Marriage
There are two in this marriage, but only one that really counts. The most obvious example, currently, would be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry’s given up his family, friends, country, status, job and is all set to play a walk-on-role in the Oprah interview and Second Gentleman if the plan works out).
Adorer Marriage
This would be George and Amal Clooney – he’s only too happy to worship the ground she walks on and do her sewing and mending. It’s the traditional marriage in reverse and we can’t help but admire from afar.
Tag Team marriage
Thinking of David and Sam Cam here, Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory, all those couples who take turns at the helm and are perfectly capable of stepping back, switching roles, and taking their turn at being supportive while watching the other one shine. Properly modern really.
Is it just me...
Who has noticed (see this recent picture of Paul McCartney and his wife, Nancy Shevell) that status symbols have moved on again – and naturally the McCartneys have got the full 2021 package? There’s the relaxed, youthful appearance assisted by yoga and a vegetarian diet. There’s the rescue dog (two status points), wooden floors signalling simple but luxurious living and, crucially, the quality stair runner. Never mind your old masters, a lake, cinema room and sauna complex…it’s the cut of your stair runner that marks you out as a Have It All now.
Is it OK to...
Wonder why Justin and Hailey Bieber are so determined to remind the world that they’re married. A recent Instagram post of them wearing “Hubby” and “Wifey” sweatshirts is worrying. There was a trend a while back for new brides to wear clothes embroidered with their married name (Madonna had “Mrs Ritchie” embroidered on a jacket and Jacqui Ainsley went for the same on her knickers), but we thought that had died out. Why aren’t the Biebers wearing sweatshirts saying: “What About Libya?” Or, “Want a job? Get a jab!” Anything but “Hubby and Wifey”, please.
