Stanley Johnson, British PM’s Father, to Become Honorary Citizen in Greece

Stanley Johnson, the father of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will become an honorary citizen of south Pelion in central Greece where he owns a villa.

The ceremony will be held on Friday, June 24, 2022, the day when the official opening of the new City Hall of South Pelion, in Argalasti, will take place.

The former politician, who served as a Member of the European Parliament, has close ties to South Pelion and specifically to the village of Horto, where his family has maintained a holiday home for years, which he visits every summer, as did Boris Johnson until he took office as Prime Minister.

Pelion, a huge mountain dotted with picturesque traditional villages and fringed by mesmerizing beaches, is an absolute natural paradise.

Luxury villa at Pelion

The official name of the property is known as “Irene Villa,” and is situated along the beautiful coastal resort of Horto, a prime location for sweeping views of the land and sea.

The locale offers both sandy beaches from the Aegean Sea and mountain slopes, as the Pelion peninsula is a testament to Greece’s natural beauty and scenery.

During the summer season, various festivals and celebrations, also open to tourists, take place.

The villa has its very own pool and lounge area for the family to enjoy the lovely views of the peninsula and pass their time.

Flying to his villa amid restrictions

In July of 2020, Johnson went against COVID-19 restrictions—which had been imposed by his son—to fly to Greece and his beloved villa.

He boasted of his trip in a pair of Instagram posts depicting his plane coming in over Athens.

“I’m in Pelion on essential business trying to COVID-proof my property in view of the upcoming letting season. I need to set up distancing measures at the property because they’re taking it very seriously here,” Johnson was quoted as saying by the British tabloid Daily Mail.

“The Greeks are trying to stop bulk arrivals from the UK but they were quite happy to have me coming in,” he added. “All they wanted to know [was] where I was coming from and what I was doing. Then I had my temperature taken and was swabbed twice.”