The father of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will apply for French citizenship once Brexit is done, reported today's edition of the Sunday Times.

The request for French nationality by Stanley Johnson, 79, was revealed by his daughter Rachel in a book published last week.

In "Rake's Progress: My Political Midlife Crisis", Rachel Johnson wrote that her father "is on his way to become a French citizen, his mother being born in Versailles", reported the newspaper. "This is good news, I could become French too," the daughter added.

Stanley Johnson was one of the first British officials in Brussels, as a member of the European Parliament and later of the Commission.

This led his offsprings, including Boris Johnson, to spend part of his childhood in the Belgian capital and to learn French.

Like his son Boris, the senior Johnson is often outspoken and recently challenged government orders to stay at home as much as possible to avoid spreading the new coronavirus

"[Boris] said that we should avoid going to the pub but if I have to go to the pub, I will go to the pub," he told ITV last week.

The government has ordered the closing of pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports halls and leisure centres from Friday evening to fight the spread of COVID-19 which has killed 233 people in the country, at the latest count.