Queen’s views on inaction ‘common sense’

The Queen's suggestion that she is irritated by a lack of action in tackling climate change is a "commonsense" response reflecting the views of many, royal commentators have said.

She appeared to express her exasperation just a few weeks before world leaders gather in

Glasgow for the COP26 UN climate change conference.

Royal biographer Penny Junor said the Queen's view is not "controversial" and echoes the frustration of the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge, while historian Hugo Vickers said her commentswouldhavebeenbacked by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen's remarks emerged in clips of a conversation filmed on a smartphone during a reception following the opening of the Welsh senedd on Thursday asshechattedwiththe Duchess of Cornwall and Elin Jones, the parliament's presiding officer.

In the footage, the Queen reportedly says: "Extraordinary, isn't it... I've been hearing all about COP... still don't know who is coming... no idea."

She adds: "We only know about people who are not coming... and it's really irritating when they talk, but they don't do."

Ms Junor said of the Queen's comments: "I think what she's said is really not controversial at all, it's what most people are thinking.

Mr Vickers said she was not "vent ing frustration" but purely making a point: "The Queen doesn't intervene on these things, she usually makes straightforward and, if you think about it, commonsense remarks.

"I don't consider it to be a deeply controversial thing and it's not an intervention. It's a fair point to say she likes people to get on with things."