Royal secrets are being spilled about the Royal Family, and the tea-spilling is being done at the highest level by Barack Obama.
The former president was recently interviewed by award-winning American journalist Susan Page for her new book, The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History, where he decided to share the late Queen Elizabeth II’s private political stance.
This does not sit well with the royals, who believe that talking politics or being political is strictly forbidden. While the Monarch is a powerful figure who sits with the world’s most influential leaders — just as King Charles III did with President Donald Trump in DC — it is a complex dance where the Sovereign must not share political views, push policies, or speak on social issues.
Obama Reveals The Queen’s Forbidden Brexit Critique
Sitting down with the reporter, Obama reflected on his private interactions with the late Queen during a series of high-profile interviews and in his memoir A Promised Land.
During these reflections, the former president revealed that the Monarch’s traditional mask of neutrality slipped, as Obama stated, “The Queen was not pleased with how things were going.”
Page revealed in her book that, contrary to public reports, Elizabeth II had well-thought-out views on Brexit, and she discussed them with Obama over lunch.
In a move that shattered decades of royal protocol, Obama said she did not believe that “as big a decision” as the United Kingdom leaving the European Union should have been decided by “plebiscite.”
The Windsor Lunch: Trust, Affinity, And Political Dismay
Page wrote that during the tête-à-tête, she had expressed her real views to Obama. It was a sign of the affinity and the trust she felt for him. At their luncheon, she was not only wary of Brexit but also dismayed by how David Cameron, as Prime Minister, handled the fallout of the Brexit referendum.
This is indeed a very rare royal critique of a prime minister, in public or private.
Describing the rare moment the Monarch stepped away from her traditional neutrality during a 2016 visit to Windsor Castle, Obama claimed the Queen expressed frustration with the government’s direction. Obama claimed, “She suggested that the political leadership at the time was lacking a certain sense of direction regarding the European question.”
A Sovereign’s Skepticism: The Referendum Regret
In his book, Obama claimed the Queen briefly ignored the confidential royal protocol during their meeting and confessed her worries. The former president noted that the Monarch was deeply concerned about the future of her kingdom, as Obama stated, “It was clear that Her Majesty had very strong, albeit private, reservations about the fallout of the upcoming vote.” He further added, “She seemed to feel that the country was being led into a situation that was becoming increasingly unmanageable.”
Speaking about the Sovereign’s firm belief in constitutional tradition during an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Obama revealed that she was skeptical of the referendum process.
Regarding the Prime Minister’s gamble, Obama stated, “She said, effectively, ‘It’s hard to understand why a prime minister, who presumably understands politics, would put a public referendum forward that he didn’t know what the answer would be of such importance.'”
Finally, in his reflections on the David Cameron era, Obama revealed that she was deeply troubled by the political handling of the referendum, as Obama stated, “She was not only wary of Brexit but also dismayed by how Cameron was handling it.”
For some Obama might have said too much and for others, he did not say enough.
