06 March 2024 , 12:00
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It is not unusual for Jeremy Hunt to give his wife Lucia a mention in his political talks - after all, he describes her as his 'secret weapon'.
In last year's Autumn Statement, he felt compelled to publicly apologise for forgetting her birthday, and on an official visit to China, he was forced to correct her nationality after getting it wrong. She might also get a nod in today's Budget, where the Chancellor is set to announce his 'plan for growth'.
He wants to move towards a "lower tax economy" in a hint at a pre-election giveaway to voters. Speculators estimate Mr Hunt could seek to cut a couple of pence off income tax or national insurance to ease the burden on working households.
But what does the minister's own home life look like? The Mirror takes a look at his wife and children.
Lucia previously worked at Warwick University (NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Mr Hunt met Lucia Gao in 2008 in Warwick at a Hotcourses event - an online education business which turned then 40-year-old Mr Hunt into a multi-millionaire. Lucia, who was born in Xi'an, China, was working at Warick University at the time, where she helped recruit Chinese students.
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There is an 11-year age gap between the couple, with Jeremy now aged 57 and Lucia 45. And this might be why he reportedly describes her as the "sparkler" in his and his family's lives.
Just less than a year after they met, Jeremy asked Lucia to marry him during a Christmas Eve walk and the pair later tied the knot in 2009 at Lucia's home in China, surrounded by family. It was here where the political heavyweight came to be affectionately known by his wife as 'Big Rice.'
Lucia has in the past let slip that the pet name came from her grandmother when they were in China together for their big day. Speaking to the Mail, she said: "My grandma found it very hard to say 'Jeremy' so she would just call him the 'big mi'. Mi means 'rice', so I call him 'big rice'."
And during Jeremy's Tory leadership campaign in 2019, he revealed that his wife was his "secret weapon", saying Lucia was the "perfect Foreign Secretary’s wife" after she accompanied him on a seven-day, five-country tour of Africa.
The couple now have three children (Getty Images)
The children now reportedly play with Mr Sunak's children (Getty Images)She is often pictured at Conservative Party events by his side - and Jeremy has previously told the Daily Telegraph that Lucia's "toughness" was good to have in a negotiation. It is not clear what Lucia's occupation is now, but she regularly appeared on Sky TV's China Hour and presented her own show called Signature Flowers Of China.
Lucia is also mum to their three children - 13-year-old son Jack was born in 2010 followed by daughters Anna, 11, and Eleanor, 9. They try to keep them out of the spotlight but they have been pictured on occasion.
In 2018, Mr Hunt was forced to publicly apologise after getting his wife's nationality wrong. As foreign secretary on his first official visit to China, he referred to his wife as Japanese instead. "My wife is Japanese - my wife is Chinese. That's a terrible mistake to make," he told his counterpart, the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
He added: "My wife is Chinese and my children are half-Chinese and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xi’an and strong family connections in China." And in last year's Autumn statement, he wished Lucia a happy birthday after forgetting to buy her a card.
Addressing her in the press gallery, he said she looked "younger every year" before admitting to feeling "incredibly guilty" for not buying her a card, saying he was going to make it up to her on the weekend. The married couple have a family home in Jeremy's constituency of Hambledon, in South West Surrey, and his personal website says he splits his time between the property and Westminster.
But after moving into No 11 Downing Street, the children are reportedly friendly with the Prime Minister's children next door. "The children have already started regular playdates with Rishi [Sunak]’s children, as they're just next door," Mr Hunt said, according to the Mail.
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Together, Lucia and Jeremy run a real estate business called Mare Pond Properties Ltd and according to The Evening Standard, they have a £1.7m townhouse in Pimlico, South London. As part of their property portfolio, the couple also share seven flats in the waterside Ocean Village development in Southampton, which they rent out as landlords.