Cherie Blair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cherie, Lady Blair
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Blair in 2011
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Cherie Booth
23 September 1954 Bury, Lancashire, England
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| Occupation | Barrister |
| Known for | Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom (1997–2007) |
| Political party | Labour |
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| Children | 4, including Euan and Nicky |
| Parent(s) | Tony Booth (father) Pat Phoenix (stepmother) |
| Relatives | Lauren Booth (paternal half‑sister) |
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Cherie, Lady Blair, who also uses her birth name Cherie Booth for her work, is a successful English barrister (a type of lawyer) and writer. She is married to Tony Blair, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007.
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Early Life and Schooling
Cherie Booth was born on 23 September 1954, in Bury, Lancashire, England. She grew up near Liverpool. Her father was the actor Tony Booth, and her mother was the actress Gale Howard. When Cherie was eight, her parents separated. She and her younger sister, Lyndsey, were raised by their mother and grandmother.
The sisters went to Catholic schools in Crosby. Cherie was a very good student. At her high school, Seafield Convent Grammar, she earned top grades in her A-Level exams, which are important tests for getting into university.
She studied law at the famous London School of Economics and graduated with First-Class Honours, the highest possible grade. She then went to the University of Law to train to become a barrister. She finished at the top of her class in the final bar exams. While studying, she also taught law at a university in London.
In 1983, she ran for a seat in Parliament for the Labour Party. She did not win, as the area she ran in, North Thanet, almost always voted for the rival Conservative Party.
Career as a Lawyer
Cherie became a barrister in 1976. In 1995, she was made a Queen's Counsel, a title given to top, experienced lawyers. In 1999, she was also appointed as a recorder, which is a part-time judge in the County Court and Crown Court.
In 2000, she helped start Matrix Chambers, a group of lawyers in London who focus on human rights law. This area of law protects people's basic rights and freedoms. She is also the founder of the law firm Omnia Strategy LLP. As a lawyer, she often works on cases about employment and discrimination.
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Blair has been involved in many important legal cases. One famous case was about whether a company treated an employee unfairly because of their sexual orientation.
In 2010, while acting as a judge, Blair made comments about a defendant being a "religious man." Some people felt this was why she gave him a lighter sentence. The Office for Judicial Complaints investigated but found that she had not broken any rules.
As a lawyer, her job is to defend her clients. In 2015, she defended the head of Rwanda's intelligence service, Emmanuel Karenzi Karake, against serious accusations. In 2021, she worked as an ethics adviser for an Israeli security company called NSO Group.
Work in Education and Charity
Cherie Blair has also been very involved in education. From 1999 to 2006, she was the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. The university later named a building after her, the Cherie Booth Building. She has also been a governor for the London School of Economics and the Open University. In 2011, she became the Chancellor of the Asian University for Women.
Charity Work
Blair supports many charities. She is a patron for Breast Cancer Care, a charity that helps people with breast cancer, and Scope, a disability charity.
In 2008, she started the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. This organization helps women in developing countries start and grow their own businesses. The foundation gives them skills, technology, and support to become successful.
In 2013, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her work on women's issues and for her charity efforts.
Personal Life
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Family
Cherie met Tony Blair in 1976 when they were both training to be lawyers. They got married on 31 March 1980. They have four children: Euan, Nicholas, Kathryn, and Leo.
Their youngest son, Leo, was born in 2000 while Tony Blair was Prime Minister. He was the first baby born to a serving prime minister in over 150 years.
Beliefs and Views
Cherie Blair has described herself as a socialist. She is also a republican, which means she believes the United Kingdom should have an elected president instead of a monarch. Because of this, she chooses to shake hands with members of the Royal Family instead of curtsying.
She is a practising Roman Catholic. She is also known for being strongly against the death penalty.
Books and Media Portrayals
In 2004, Cherie Blair co-wrote a book called The Goldfish Bowl: Married to the Prime Minister. The book tells the stories of the spouses of other British prime ministers. In 2008, she published her autobiography, Speaking for Myself.
Because she was married to the prime minister, she has been portrayed as a character in several films and TV shows. The actress Helen McCrory played her in the movie The Queen (2006) and the TV film The Special Relationship (2010). More recently, she was played by Lydia Leonard in the popular TV series The Crown.
See also
In Spanish: Cherie Booth para niños
