Brits have reacted with amusement after Australian journalists Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw mistakenly referred to British Prime Minister Liz Truss as a ‘minor royal’ at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday.
The senior Channel Nine journalists were left scratching their heads as Truss and her husband Hugh O’Leary climbed out of her car at Westminster Abbey, prompting Overton to speculate: ‘They must be royalty, Tracy’.
Mocking the on-air blunder, one British Twitter user wrote: ‘Australian media trying to identify Liz Truss when she entered Westminster and trying their best with “maybe minor royals” or “local dignitaries” made me chuckle.’
Brits have reacted with amusement after Australian journalists Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw mistakenly referred to British Prime Minister Liz Truss as a ‘minor royal’ at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday. (Pictured left: Overton and Grimshaw reporting on the funeral, and right: Truss and her husband Hugh O’Leary arriving at the ceremony)
‘I present, for your viewing pleasure, footage of Liz Truss getting out of a car, and Australian media being like, “Who the f**k is that?”‘ another tweeted.
Someone else added: ‘Yelling at the Australian funeral commentators calling Liz Truss and her husband “minor royals” ’cause they don’t know who they are.’
However, Australian commentator Jane Caro has claimed the BBC’s coverage of Her Majesty’s final farewell wasn’t without its flaws either.
She suspected journalists for Britain’s national broadcaster did not recognise Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, because he was shown on screen for an extended period of time without being identified by the commentary team.
The Nine newsreaders were mocked on Twitter by Brits for failing to identify the new PM
‘BBC focuses on Albo entering the church – it’s clear the commentators have no idea who he is,’ Caro tweeted.
Overton and Grimshaw were left red-faced after they failed to identify British Prime Minister Liz Truss during their commentary on the Queen‘s funeral.
‘So, this is a significant motorcade, we are being told now,’ Overton said as Truss arrived.
Australian commentator Jane Caro has claimed the BBC’s coverage of Her Majesty’s final farewell wasn’t without its flaws either
She suspected journalists for Britain’s national broadcaster did not recognise Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, because he was shown on screen for an extended period of time without being identified by the commentary team. (Pictured: Mr Albanese arriving at Westminster Abbey ahead of the Queen’s funeral)
‘Come with us as we try and identify who is getting out of the car. This is under police escort of course. I would suggest this might be royalty, Tracy. Hard to identify. Maybe minor royals, members of the … I can’t identify them at this point …’
‘We can’t spot everyone unfortunately,’ Grimshaw said.
‘They look like they could well be local dignitaries, it is hard to see, we are looking at the back of their heads mostly.’
Overton (left) and Grimshaw (right) were left red-faced after they failed to identify UK Prime Minister Liz Truss during their commentary on the Queen ‘s funeral
Moments later, Overton issued a correction.
‘I’m told that was Liz Truss the new Prime Minister in the distance, she could see hopping out of the car. Thank you very much for that information,’ he told viewers.
He then conceded to Nine co-stars Karl Stefanovic, Ally Langdon and UK royal expert Dickie Arbiter that their British guest might be better at spotting local famous faces.
‘Karl and Ally, and Dickie, Dickie particularly, you’ll be spotting these faces and recognising them better than us, I think,’ Overton said.
Ms Truss was the last world leader to be pictured with the Queen in her final official duty, just 48 hours before she died.
Ms Truss (pictured with her husband at the funeral on Monday) was the last world leader to be pictured with the Queen in her final official duty, just 48 hours before she died
The UK’s most important church, packed with 2,000 VIPs including prime ministers, presidents and the Queen’s family, was serene aside from the sound of hymns and prayers in a funeral service Her Majesty has curated herself before she died.
Outside the Abbey an estimated 2million people are in central London along procession routes and watching on big screens.
The State Gun Carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin began its funeral procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey at around 10.45am, arriving just before 11am.
A single toll from Big Ben signalled the start of the service at Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned and buried since 1066.
Her Majesty will be laid to rest at Windsor next to her beloved husband Prince Philip and her parents, George VI and the Queen Mother.
The coffin is placed near the altar inside Westminster Abbey, next to her grieving family
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