Liz Truss has been reminded of the time an Australian TV channel failed to recognise her as she arrived at Westminster Abbey for the funeral of the Queen.
The ex-PM has revealed the late Queen’s final words to her in their first and only official meeting in her book, Ten Years to Save the West.
Queen Elizabeth II is said to have told the then-prime minister: “I’ll see you next week” as they met at Balmoral on September 6 2022, just two days before the monarch’s death.
Some 15 prime ministers led the country during Elizabeth II’s reign, with Ms Truss being the last of them.
But at her funeral, she went largely under the radar.
The mix-up happened on Australia’s Channel 9 as it was covering the funeral, attended by prime ministers and presidents from around the world – including Australian premier Anthony Albanese.
But it was the UK prime minister, admittedly only a few days in the job, who drew blanks from presenters Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw.
The pair were commentating on the proceedings, when Ms Truss arrived with husband Hugh O’Leary.
“Who is this?” Ms Grimshaw asks.
“No, hard to identify, maybe minor royals, members of the…. I can’t identify them,” Mr Overton responds.
“We can’t spot everyone unfortunately,” says Ms Grimshaw.
“They look like they could well be local dignitaries, it is hard to see, we are looking at the back of their heads mostly.”
The pair appear then to realise the mistake, with Mr Overton telling viewers: “I’m just told that was Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister in the distance that we could see, hopping out of that car.”
The mix-up inevitably prompted some mockery online, with the funeral in London beamed across TV screens in Australia and around the world.
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