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Samantha Cameron reveals how quick New York trip with David put marriage 'back on track'

David and Samantha Cameron - London News Pictures/Ben Cawthra
David and Samantha Cameron - London News Pictures/Ben Cawthra

Samantha Cameron has revealed she and her husband David went on a trip to New York after struggling to "get on" the year after he left Downing Street.

She admitted on Tuesday that a year after David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister in the summer of 2016 they were not “getting on very well'” as a couple and it was “really weird”.

In a bid to solve their difficulties, the Camerons spent three days in New York without their three children, something Mrs Cameron admits she finds difficult but which she says put them “back on track again”.

In a rare interview, the 49-year-old revealed the couple “never” go out at night anymore because she feels she has to be at home “all the time” to look after her teenage children.

Mrs Cameron lives with her husband and Nancy, 16, Arthur, 14, and Florence, 10, in their £1.5 million home near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, from where she runs her own fashion label and shop Cefinn.

Speaking on the Happy Mum Happy Baby Podcast, she said: "I'm not very good at ever spending time away from the children with [David] on my own.

"There was a couple of years ago when [David] was travelling a lot about a year after he left Downing Street and I was working really hard on my business and it was one of the few times in our marriage when I just thought 'I'm just not sure we are getting on very well, this is really weird'.”

Mrs Cameron, who has been married to the former Conservative prime minster for 24 years, added: "And actually we just went away for three days together away from the children.

"I think partly because I do work and I'm a bit of a control freak about all the logistics and everything else I'm not very really good at ever leaving them."

David Cameron, Samantha Cameron and their children leave Downing Street for the last time in July 2016 - David Rose/David Rose
David Cameron, Samantha Cameron and their children leave Downing Street for the last time in July 2016 - David Rose/David Rose

She continued: "And I think you can't when you're working; you have to choose between work and other stuff and your children.

"So you can't do everything, you can't kind of work and have a social life, and go off on holiday with your husband on your own, and be a parent. I choose to work and be a parent, and not the other stuff."

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Speaking about their trip away to save their marriage, Mrs Cameron said: "So we're not very good at going away with each other, but we did go to New York for three days.

"I have to say, we came back and it was amazing how a few days on your own somewhere else, you know going round art galleries and restaurants that had nothing to do with children, put us straight back on track again.

"So now I look forward to that time when we can spend more time together travelling or going to restaurants."

Mrs Cameron admitted that they never go out any more because of the "teenagers", but "we could when they were little. They went to bed at 7.30pm".

"We definitely went out more when they were little. It wasn't very much but we did go out to restaurants and go out on our own and have date nights.

"But when you have teenagers you really feel like you've got to be there all the time. It's not to say we don't go out for dinner with friends, but it's probably less than we ever have because our parenting starts in the evening."