David Cameron has been caught on camera revealing that the Queen “purred down the line” after he informed her of Scotland's vote against independence. The prime minister's comments, made during a conversation with former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, were accidentally picked up by Sky News. This rare breach of convention, where prime ministers traditionally keep their conversations with the monarch private, risks undermining the Queen's political neutrality.
In the recording, Cameron said: “The definition of relief is being the prime minister of the United Kingdom and ringing the Queen and saying: ‘It’s alright, it’s OK’. That was something. She purred down the line.” He also joked about suing pollsters who had suggested the referendum was too close to call, saying they had given him stomach ulcers.
The remarks have caused embarrassment for Downing Street, which declined to comment. The palace is unlikely to have welcomed the disclosure, as the Queen had maintained a careful public neutrality throughout the campaign, except for a remark overheard outside a church near her Balmoral estate, where she hoped people would think carefully about the future.
Following the result, the Queen issued a statement calling for unity and mutual respect. She said she had no doubt that Scots would come together in a spirit of support after expressing strongly held opinions. The monarch is understood to have watched the referendum debate with close interest and spoke to Cameron on the day of the result.
