Buckingham Palace was furious at Theresa May following the General Election, after the Prime Minister claimed she had a deal in place with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) – despite the agreement not being finalised until 17 days later.
Shocking new detail from Mrs May’s botched attempt at securing her own Parliamentary majority have revealed that senior officials in the Palace were also dismayed at how the Conservative leader breached protocol in the manner which she revealed she was going to form a Government.
A new book serialised by the Sunday Times, Fall Out: A Year of Political Mayhem, reveals how Mrs May broke down in tears following widespread condemnation for her failure to secure a majority and her decision not to meet the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, which occurred a week after the election.
Officials from the Palace were annoyed about Mrs May’s speech outside Number 10, where she claimed she had ‘formed a Government’ and not that the Queen had asked her to form a Government, a Tory peer told the Sunday Times.
Officials from the Palace were annoyed about Mrs May’s speech outside Number 10, where she claimed she had ‘formed a Government’ and not that the Queen had asked her to form a Government
Theresa May (left) broke down in tears after failing to secure a Parliamentary majority, and had to have her make-up redone before meeting the Queen. Her Majesty (right) was said to have been less than impressed with the Conservative Party leader
Advisers to the PM said she had accidentally misled the Queen about her deal with the DUP.
A royal source said the ‘DUP buggered Mrs May about longer than she thought’ and they were ‘frustrated’ as it was running into Ascot and the state opening of Parliament.
A Tory insider said: ‘The Palace was irritated. They felt that the deal with the DUP hadn’t been done. Gavin (Barwell, Theresa May’s new chief of staff) thought he had assurances that he didn’t have.’
It was also revealed that Mrs May had to have her make-up redone before she visited the Queen because she had been crying.
Her Majesty is said to have not thought highly of her meeting Mrs May the day after the election and that there was a ‘high degree of uncertainty’ about whether the Prime Minister would be ousted, a Tory insider said.
A source told the Sunday Times: ‘In the private audiences between the Queen and Mrs May, I don’t think the Queen finds Mrs May any easier company than anyone else.’
Prince Charles is said to have become ‘petulant’ about the delay to the Queen’s speech and wanted to sit by his mother’s side as the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, was ill at the time.
Prince Charles is said to have become ‘petulant’ about the delay to the Queen’s speech and wanted to sit by his mother’s side as the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, was ill at the time
The Queen herself and the Duke of Edinburgh believed there was a ‘lack of courtesy’ from the head of the Conservative Party for their handling of the situation.
One aide spoke of how Mrs May ‘look tired’ and that they did not think she was ‘thinking straight’ following the election, and even urged her new chief of staff Gavin Barwell to bring in a SAS soldier to give her a pep talk about ‘resilience’, although the offer was not followed through.
The aide said: ‘I can get you former special forces commanders… people who have been in crunching encounters. They will realise it is in the national interest to keep her on track and keep her going’.