Queen described Chinese officials as ‘very rude’
THE Chinese Embassy has maintained that both sides made “great efforts” over last year’s Chinese state visit – after the Queen was caught on camera describing the republic’s officials as “very rude”.
The monarch was overheard making the uncharacteristically unguarded comments at a Buckingham Palace garden party during a discussion with a Metropolitan Police commander about the difficulties of organising the stay in October by President Xi Jinping.
The Queen quipped “bad luck” when she heard that Lucy D’Orsi was assigned to be Gold Commander of the police operation around the world leader’s trip to the UK.
A spokeswoman from the Chinese Embassy in the UK branded the state visit a success, but made no direct mention of the monarch.
“President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK last year was very successful. Both sides at the working level made great efforts towards the success of the visit,” the spokeswoman said.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has admitted that the important visit “got a bit stressful on both sides”.
Speaking in Gibraltar, he confirmed: “Big state visits are big logistic challenges. I was involved in this and, yes, at times it got a bit stressful on both sides.
“But it was a great state visit – everybody agrees, hugely successful – and our relationship with China is very strong and has been greatly strengthened by the success of that visit.”
The Queen’s comments were captured by an official Palace cameraman soon after Prime Minister David Cameron was filmed describing Afghanistan and Nigeria to the monarch as “fantastically corrupt” in a separate diplomatic mishap.
When the Queen’s remarks were reported on BBC World, the broadcast was blacked out in China.
Michel Hockx, director of SOAS China Institute, told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show that some on Chinese social media believed the conversation was scripted – because the official introducing Ms D’Orsi to the Queen was reading from his notes.