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EU referendum: Palace complains over Queen 'Brexit' story | EU referendum: Palace complains over Queen 'Brexit' story |
(35 minutes later) | |
Buckingham Palace has complained to the press watchdog over the Sun newspaper's article claiming the Queen backed "Brexit" from the European Union. | |
The Sun quotes anonymous sources, one of whom claims to have witnessed a "bust-up" between the Queen and pro-EU former Deputy PM Nick Clegg in 2011. | |
It says the Queen told Mr Clegg the EU was "heading in the wrong direction". | |
Earlier, the palace insisted the Queen was "politically neutral" over the EU referendum. | |
Mr Clegg called the story "nonsense". | |
All you need to know about the EU referendum | |
UK and the EU - better off out or in? | |
Under the headline, "Queen backs Brexit", the Sun said the Queen's exchange with Mr Clegg at a lunch in 2011 left "no room for doubt about her passionate feelings over Europe". | |
It said her "reprimand" of Mr Clegg "went on for some time and stunned other guests". | |
The paper says the Queen also revealed her feelings about Europe during a separate conversation with MPs at Buckingham Palace "a few years ago". | |
It claims the Queen told them: "I don't understand Europe" - words an unnamed parliamentary source says she spoke with "venom and emotion". | |
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "We can confirm that we have this morning written to the chairman of the Independent Press Standards Organisation to register a complaint about the front page story in today's Sun newspaper. | |
"The complaint relates to clause one of the Editors' Code of Practice." | |
The Sun's political editor Tom Newton Dunn wrote that the paper would not have reported the Queen's remarks "had they not come from two different and impeccably placed sources". | |
He says the Queen must remain "above the fray" of political issues, but added: "If she has a view on Brexit, don't voters have a right to know what it is?" |