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British PM to apologize to queen over purring gaffe
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BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron will apologize to Queen Elizabeth II in person for eyebrow-raising comments about how she “purred” down the telephone when he told her that Scotland had rejected independence last week.
Cameron was caught on camera Tuesday making the remarks to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the United States, at the UN General Assembly, in what monarchy watchers called a breach of protocol.
“The definition of relief is being the prime minister of the United Kingdom and ringing the queen and saying: ‘It’s alright, it’s OK.’ That was something,” Cameron said. “She purred down the line.”
Cameron said he was “very embarrassed” and “extremely sorry” about what had happened. It is thought he will apologize to the 88-year-old monarch at the next of their regular weekly meetings.
“It was a private conversation, but clearly a private conversation that I shouldn’t have had and won’t have again,” he told reporters in New York.
“My office has already been in touch with the palace to make that clear and I will do so as well.”
By constitutional convention, the queen must remain impartial over political issues such as the Scottish independence debate and any discussions between the executive branch and the sovereign must remain confidential.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said Cameron should “hang his head in shame” and opposition Labour Party lawmaker Paul Flynn described him as a “gossiping motormouth.”
“It’s a major blunder ..., particularly embarrassing because he was speaking about a sensitive and divisive political issue,” Flynn said.
After the vote to remain in the UK, the queen called for Scots to display “a spirit of unity.”
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