LONDON (AFP) - The wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday she has brought up the couple's four children as Catholics because she did not want them to be "simply part of the Establishment".

In an interview with The Times, Cherie Blair said she decided to raise Euan, 22, Nicky, 20, Kathryn, 18, and five-year-old Leo in her own faith because of the "little bit of grit" in Catholicism that informs its social teachings.

The degree of influence Cherie Blair has on her 53-year-old husband in matters of faith has been the source of widespread speculation in Protestant Britain since he came to power in 1997.

Blair, a member of the Church of England, has tried to shy away from evoking spiritual issues in his public life -- his former spin doctor once said to him "We don't do God" -- but has revealed his policy decisions are guided by faith.

In March, he told a television interviewer he believed his decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq would be judged by God, sparking widespread condemnation from opponents of the war.

Blair's wife, an eminent human rights lawyer and judge in her own right, told The Times magazine: "When I was growing up, to be a Catholic was something that meant you were not part of the Establishment.

"And so, being from a fairly humble family myself, and knowing that my children are having a pretty privileged life, I don't want them to be simply part of the Establishment."

The prime minister's wife -- who uses her maiden name Booth in her job and personal engagements -- was speaking during a tour of Pakistan and Afghanistan last month in her capacity as patron of the British charity Breast Cancer Care.

The 51-year-old, who once stood as a parliamentary candidate and lost, told the newspaper she no longer harboured any political ambitions and has no intention of giving up her successful legal career.

She and her husband were initially drawn to one another because of their shared interest in politics and spiritual matters.

"I'm fascinated by politics but I've lived 26 years in politics -- more than that because I've always been interested," she added.

"But, you know, you can change the world through the law, too, and that's the path I've chosen."