Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Queen describes Matt Hancock as 'poor man' at meeting with PM

Queen describes Matt Hancock as 'poor man' at meeting with PM

The monarch made the remarks at her first in-person weekly meeting with the PM since lockdown began, despite of Matt Hancock becoming rich and not poor thanks to the pandemic...

The Queen referred to Health Secretary Matt Hancock as "poor man" at a meeting with Boris Johnson.

"I've just been talking to your secretary of state for health, poor man. He came for Privy Council," she told the prime minister.
"He's full of...", she added. "Full of beans?", offered Mr Johnson.

Their weekly meetings are usually private but cameras were invited in to record the start of the first face-to-face one since lockdown began.

The Queen then told the prime minister that the health secretary "thinks things are getting better," in remarks caught on microphone.

The PM usually meets the monarch on Wednesday at Buckingham Palace.

Their last in-person audience took place on 11 March, 2020.

'Valuable'
However, since 18 March 2020, after the government introduced restrictions to slow the spread of Covid, the pair have instead spoken over the phone.

The Privy Council - where the Queen spoke to Mr Hancock - is a body made up of senior politicians including former prime ministers which advises the monarch. It meets around once a month.

Mr Hancock has had a difficult month, with the prime minister's former aide Dominic Cummings accusing him of lying about testing people going from hospitals to care homes at the start of the pandemic - claims Mr Hancock has denied.

And earlier this month, Mr Cummings published messages from the PM in which he describes Mr Hancock as "hopeless".

Weekly meetings between the prime minister and the Queen have been taking place since 1952. No advisers attend and there is no official record of what is said.

Ex-PM David Cameron said he found the meetings "very valuable" adding that the monarch was "always up to speed" with political events.

'Unburden themselves'
Another former Prime Minister, John Major, said he could discuss "absolutely anything" with the Queen and Labour PM Harold Wilson said it was the only meeting the details of which he could guarantee would not be leaked.

In a 1992 documentary, the Queen said prime ministers "unburden themselves or tell me what is going on or if they have any problems, and sometimes I can help in some way as well".

"They know I can be impartial and it is rather nice to feel one is a sponge.

"Occasionally one can put one's point of view and perhaps they have not seen it from that angle."

The Queen spent much of the pandemic in her Berkshire home Windsor Castle.

In April 2020, she made a rare televised addresses in which she said: "We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again."

A year later, her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99 leaving what the Queen called "a huge void" in her life.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×