Buckingham Palace: It's 'nonsense' to say the Queen is backing a Brexit

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Reuters

Britain's Queen Elizabeth views the interior of the refurbished East Wing of Somerset House at King's College in London February 29, 2012.

Buckingham Palace denied that the Queen is backing Britain leaving the European Union - dubbed a Brexit.

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The palace, which releases statements on behalf of the Royal Family, told the BBC that Queen Elizabeth II is "politically neutral" and the claims made by tabloid newspaper The Sun that the Queen "backs a Brexit" are "spurious" and "nonsense."

"The Queen remains politically neutral, as she has for 63 years. We would never comment on spurious, anonymously sourced claims. The referendum will be a matter for the British people," said Buckingham Palace.

The statement follows a story by The Sun that claims the Queen is backing a Brexit based on a "bust up" she had with Nick Clegg during a lunch in 2011, who was the pro-EU Deputy Prime Minister of Britain at the time.

According to the newspaper, the Queen said the 28 nation block was "heading in the wrong direction." The Sun, under the headline "Queen backs Brexit", added that the Queen left "no room for doubt about her passionate feelings over Europe" and even "reprimanded" Clegg for some time and "stunned other guests."

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The Sun

In addition, the newspaper claimed that the Queen had a separate conversation with politicians at Buckingham Palace "a few years ago" and said "I don't understand Europe."

One unnamed parliamentary source allegedly said she spoke with "venom and emotion."

Britain's Royal Family is expected to remain politically neutral (which is why, for instance, the Queen abstains from voting in general elections even though she is entitled to do so).

However, the British press is always keen to try and interpret or find out what the Royal Family really think.

In February, the Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers interpreted Prince William's comments on Britain being an "outward-looking nation" as him backing the UK staying part of the EU. Prince William's spokesman later denied Prince William was commenting on the referendum.

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