Embarrassing moment Channel Nine newsreaders Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw mislabel the UK’s new prime minister as a ‘minor royal’ at the Queen’s funeral
- Nine journalist Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw fail to recognise UK PM
- The mix-up happened as UK Prime Minister Liz Truss climbed out of her car
- ‘So, this is a significant motorcade, we are being told now,’ Overton said
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
Senior Channel Nine journalists Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw were unable to identify Britain’s new prime minister as they provided commentary on the Queen’s funeral on Monday night.
As UK Prime Minister Liz Truss climbed out of her car to attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Overton and Grimshaw were left scratching their heads as to who she was.
‘So, this is a significant motorcade, we are being told now,’ Overton said.
Overton and Grimshaw stumbled trying to identify Truss and thought she might be ‘minor royalty’
‘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 …’
Viewers at home took to social media to call them out on the blunder.
‘Good job Peter Overton. Didn’t know the new PM,’ one person tweeted.
Another wrote: ‘Happened to be passing by the living room in my house where my family are watching the Queen’s funeral. Tracy Grimshaw: ‘And we’re not sure who this is who has arrived’.’
”Unfortunately we can’t identify everyone, they look like local dignitaries.’ It was Liz Truss. I howled.’
Britain’s prime minister Liz Truss, pictured left, has proven to be a mystery to Nine newsreaders Peter Overton and Tracy Grimshaw
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 before 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.
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