The outgoing prime minister and his wife are hosting family and friends at 18th-century Daylesford House to celebrate their wedding with a larger circle after the pandemic forced them to scale back celebrations last year. The groom’s 81-year-old father Stanley Johnson was seen entering the estate in a car on Saturday afternoon. A possibly less welcome guest was anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray, who appeared on a street near the wedding venue with a giant banner reading ‘corrupt Tory government’. All eyes will be on the guest list for the event and whether defectors from the Johnson government will still be invited. His former chancellor Rishi Sunak and current foreign secretary Liz Truss are certain to lose the party as they campaign in a bid to replace the prime minister. Truss, on a campaign visit to Bromley, defended Johnson for organizing the lavish celebrations at a time when millions are struggling with bills. Asked if the prime minister should focus on such crises facing the country instead of partying, she told reporters: “I think he deserves to enjoy his wedding day and I wish him and Carrie and the whole family the best.” The event takes place under a huge white marquee in the extensive landscaped grounds of Daylesford House in Gloucestershire. The Grade I-listed mansion is owned by Lord Bamford, chairman of construction equipment manufacturer JCB, who has donated millions to the Conservatives. Staff were seen this week walking in and out of the shuttered stage amid apparent party preparations. Visitors will be able to relax on hay bales and benches placed outside the marquee and eat and drink at barrels and small tables as they enjoy views of vast meadows and orchards. Boris and Carrie Johnson originally planned to hold their wedding reception at the Prime Minister’s official country home, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire. These plans led to suggestions that Johnson wanted to remain as caretaker prime minister in part to achieve this, although this was denied by Downing Street. They are said to have sent out save cards for a celebration on July 30, before deciding to change locations. The couple married in a quiet private ceremony at Westminster Cathedral last year, arranged in secret, in front of a small group of family and friends. A reception followed in the gardens of 10 Downing Street with a limited number of guests due to the coronavirus restrictions. It was known that they were planning to have a bigger celebration this year after restrictions were eased. Billionaire Lord Bamford is covering at least part of the cost of the party, the Mirror reported, citing unnamed sources. It is not the first time Johnson, who has been married twice before, has benefited from the support of the JCB chairman. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST The Tory peer backed his 2019 leadership bid, with Johnson knocking down a wall with a JCB digger at the Staffordshire factory in a stunt to prove he could “get Brexit done”. Lord Bamford’s wife, Lady Carole Bamford, set up the luxury organic farm Daylesford, with a chain of shops selling its produce across London. Johnson reportedly received around £12,500 worth of food from the Daylesford farm shop during the pandemic, although Downing Street said he paid for the cost of all the food for “personal consumption”. When asked about the wedding celebrations, the No 10 declined to comment on the “private matter”.
