A BBC reporter has apologized to Buckingham Palace after reporting something that Queen Elizabeth II told him. In the United Kingdom, unlike the U.S., the Queen is not supposed to have any political opinions. She told the reporter, Frank Gardner, that she was “pretty upset” about a radical Islamic cleric, and wondered whether there wasn’t some grounds to arrest the cleric or not.
The New York Times reports on the fallout:
It is considered a shocking breach of etiquette to reveal what, if anything, the queen tells you, especially when it comes to political views, which she is technically not supposed to have. The BBC immediately issued an abject apology, saying that the correspondent, Frank Gardner, was completely out of line.
Advertisement“The conversation should have remained private, and the BBC and Frank deeply regret this breach of confidence,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
“It was wholly inappropriate. Frank is extremely sorry for the embarrassment caused and has apologized to the palace.”