The late Queen Elizabeth II had supported Britain remaining in the European Union, a new royal book has claimed.
While the sovereign is duty-bound to preserve a politically neutral stance, the former monarch’s opinion on Brexit was one of intense debate during the 2016 campaign.
Bombshell findings in the new book, Power and the Palace, by former Times royal correspondent Valentine Low, suggest the late Queen very much did not “back Brexit”.
An unnamed senior minister who spoke with Queen Elizabeth in Spring 2016, just three months before the fateful referendum, told the author she admitted her desire to remain in the EU.
Queen Elizabeth supported remaining in the European Union, a new royal book has claimed
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“We shouldn’t leave the EU,” the minister recalled Queen Elizabeth declaring.
While discussing the approaching referendum, she was then said to argue: “It’s better to stick with the devil you know.”
The book suggests that the Queen ultimately saw the EU as an integral part of post-war Europe and a sign of co-operation after the destructive conflicts of the early 20th century.
“She was so careful never to express a political view, but you always sensed that, like most of her subjects, she thought that European co-operation was necessary and important, but the institutions of the EU sometimes can be infuriating,” former Prime Minister David Cameon said of her position.
The late Queen was said to have opined: 'We shouldn’t leave the EU'
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Word of the Queen’s Remainer tendencies had apparently reached Mr Cameron, who was in No10 at the time.
However, it was ultimately decided that the monarch's views should be kept private and out of any campaigning.
While Queen Elizabeth had evidently decided where she stood on Brexit, the book also supports suggestions that she had become intensely frustrated with the EU.
The former monarch, when reading new stories about bureaucracy in Brussels, was said to despair: “This is ridiculous.”
There was also a moment in 2011 while the Deputy Prime Minister visited the sovereign in Windsor.
The former monarch was also believed to have shared he frustrations about EU bureaucracy on several occasions
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While there, the Queen had intimated that the EU was heading in the wrong direction and had declared with “venom and emotion” that “I don’t understand Europe”.
Nick Clegg would later deny the story and blame the leak on Michael Gove.
Despite this, the conversation would become the basis for The Sun newspaper’s infamous “Queen backs Brexit” frontage.
The claim, while not denied outright by Buckingham Palace, led to complaint being filed with Independent Press Standards Organisation.
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The revelations about the late Queen were revealed in Valetine Low's new royal book
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As part of preserving her broad apolitical stance, the new book also suggests “tweaks” would occasionally be made to the Queen’s Speech at the opening of parliament.
“No, I don’t think we can use this phrase or that phrase, because it’s come directly from political campaigning,” a Whitehall source described the attitude that led to edits.
In recent times, such tweaks have included omitting “take back control” from the Queen’s post-Brexit speech and a phrase relating to the Rwanda bill.
Mr Low put together his new book after scores of interviews with palace aides, politicians and civil servants.
GB News has approached Buckingham Palace for comment.