Queen’s funeral: Brits react after Australian readers call PM Liz Truss ‘little royal’

Britons reacted with delight to what Australian journalists Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw mistakenly mentioned British Prime Minister Liz Truss as ‘little royals’ at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday.

Senior Channel Nine journalists were left scratching their heads as Truss and her husband Hugh O’Leary stepped out of their car at Westminster Abbey, prompting Overton to speculate: “They must be royalty, Tracy.”

Ridiculing the blunder on air, one Briton Twitter user wrote: “Australian media trying to identify Liz Truss when she entered Westminster and tried her best to ‘perhaps minor royals’ or ‘local dignitaries’ made me laugh.’

Britons reacted with glee after Australian journalists Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw mistakenly called British Prime Minister Liz Truss a “little royal” at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday. (Pictured left: Overton and Grimshaw reporting from the funeral, right: Truss and her husband Hugh O’Leary arrive for the ceremony)

“For your viewing pleasure I present the footage of Liz Truss getting out of her car and the Aussie media saying ‘Who the hell is that?'” another tweeted.

Someone else added: “Shout out to Australian funeral commentators calling Liz Truss and her husband ‘little royals’ because they don’t know who they are.”

However, Australian commentator Jane Caro argues that the BBC’s coverage of Her Majesty’s final farewell was also not without flaws.

She suspected that journalists from the UK’s national broadcaster did not recognize Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese because he was shown on screen for a long period of time without being identified by the commentary team.

Brits mock ‘Nine Readers’ on Twitter for failing to identify new PM

“BBC focuses on Alba getting into church – clearly commentators have no idea who he is,” Caro tweeted.

Overton and Grimshaw were left red-faced after they failed to recognize British Prime Minister Liz Truss during a commentary on Queenfuneral

“So it’s quite a motorcade, we’re told now,” Overton said when Truss arrived.

Australian commentator Jane Caro said the BBC’s coverage of Her Majesty’s final farewell was also not without flaws

She suspected that journalists from the UK’s national broadcaster did not recognize Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese because he was shown on screen for a long period of time without being identified by the commentary team. (Pictured: Mr Albanese arrives at Westminster Abbey ahead of the Queen’s funeral)

“Come with us while we try to determine who is getting out of the car. It is, of course, under police escort. I guess it could be royalty, Tracy. It is difficult to define. Possibly minor members of the royal family, members of the… I can’t identify them at the moment…’

“Unfortunately, we can’t spot everyone,” Grimshaw said.

“They look like they could be local dignitaries, it’s hard to see, we’re mostly looking at the back of their head.”

Overton (left) and Grimshaw (right) blushed after failing to recognize British Prime Minister Liz Truss during the Queen’s funeral commentary

A few minutes later, Overton made amends.

“I was told that Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister, was in the distance, she was seen jumping out of the car. Thank you very much for this information,” he told the audience.

He then admitted to Nine co-stars Karl Stefanovic, Ellie Langdon and British royal expert Dickie Arbiter that their British guest could better spot local famous faces.

“Carl and Eli and Dickie, especially Dickie, I think you’re going to notice those faces and recognize them better than we do,” Overton said.

Ms Truss was the last world leader to be photographed with the Queen on her last official duty, just 48 hours before her death.

Ms Truss (pictured with her husband at the funeral on Monday) was the latest world leader to be photographed with the Queen on her last official duty, just 48 hours before her death.

Britain’s most important church, packed with 2,000 VIPs including prime ministers, presidents and the Queen, was quiet except for the sound of hymns and prayers during the funeral service Her Majesty presided over before her death.

Outside the abbey, an estimated 2 million people line central London along the procession routes and watch on big screens.

The state carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin began the funeral procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey at around 10.45am and arrived just before 11am.

A single chime from Big Ben heralded the start of service at Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned and buried since 1066.

Her Majesty will be buried in Windsor alongside her beloved husband Prince Philip and her parents, George VI and the Queen Mother.

The coffin lies near the altar in Westminster Abbey, next to her grieving family