BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron will apologise in person to the Queen for comments he made about a private conversation of theirs, Downing Street has said.
Cameron has been embarrassed after he was overheard by Sky News speaking to Michael Bloomberg, New York’s former Mayor, about the Queen’s reaction to the result of the Scottish referendum.
A rogue microphone picked up part of their conversation, where Cameron was heard to say that the Queen ‘purred’ with happiness on learning that Scotland had rejected independence.
He said: “I have never heard someone so happy.”
When asked by the Daily Mail about the incident, the PM said he would be apologising.
He said: “Look, I’m very embarrassed by this. I’m extremely sorry about it. It was a private conversation, but clearly a private conversation that I shouldn’t have had and won’t have again.
“My office has already been in touch with the palace to make that clear and I will do so as well.”
Cameron’s revelations to Bloomberg have been viewed as a breach of the convention of privacy usually maintained between the Prime Minister and the Monarch. His comments may well be seen to have jeopardised the Queen’s customary neutrality.
After the referendum, a statement was released by Buckingham Palace saying that the Queen hoped that Scotland would be united by ‘a spirit of mutual respect and support.’
Cameron is expected to pay a personal visit to the Queen on his return to London from New York, where he is currently addressing the growing crisis in Iraq and Syria.
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