Queen Caught on Hot Mic Dissing World Leaders

Elizabeth was complaining about climate inaction
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 15, 2021 9:41 AM CDT
Queen Overheard Complaining About Climate Inaction
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is seen in Cardiff, Wales, on Thursday.   (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Greta Thunberg doesn't think too highly of how world leaders in general are attacking climate change. She might have an ally in the "they're all talk, no action" camp: Queen Elizabeth. Ahead of the UN's COP26 climate change conference being held next month in Glasgow, Scotland, the royal matriarch was heard Thursday griping on a hot mic while attending the opening of Welsh Parliament in Cardiff. "I've been hearing all about COP," she told the Parliament's presiding officer and her daughter-in-law Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, per the Guardian. "I still don't know who's coming. No idea."

Although President Biden has said he's going, multiple heads of state, including China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, haven't yet committed to attending. "We only know about people who are not coming," the queen continued during the conversation, which was picked up on a livestream. "It's really irritating when they talk, but they don't do." Transport Secretary Grant Shapps later said the queen's comments weren't intended to be broadcast, telling Sky News, "Comments made in private should stay private." Per the AP, the queen "is meant to be above politics and ... rarely expresses opinions in public."

Reuters notes that Elizabeth isn't the only royal to make waves over climate change in recent days. In a Thursday BBC interview, Prince William criticized the billionaires behind our most recent space race, noting they should be spending more time, energy, and money on fixing the Earth. Meanwhile, just days before that, Prince Charles warned of "catastrophic" results if global warming isn't dealt with, echoing his mother's concerns that world leaders may "just talk" at the upcoming summit, per the BBC. (More Queen Elizabeth II stories.)

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