London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 08, 2025

Queen 'irritated' by climate change inaction in COP26 build-up

Queen 'irritated' by climate change inaction in COP26 build-up

The Queen has appeared to suggest she is irritated by people who "talk" but "don't do", ahead of next month's climate change summit.

Her reported remarks were overheard during the opening of the Welsh parliament on Thursday.

The monarch, who is due to attend the UN's COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, said she did not know who was coming to the event.

Prince Charles and Prince William have also spoken of their climate concerns.

Global leaders are meeting in Glasgow between 31 October and 12 November to negotiate a new deal to stall rising global temperatures.

US President Joe Biden and members of the G7 nations will be attending COP26. On Friday, after weeks of hesitation, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison also confirmed he will be at the summit.

But there are reports China's President Xi Jinping would not be attending, although the country will be represented by its government officials in Glasgow.

Downing Street said it was up to individual countries to confirm attendances at COP26.

Video clips featuring the Queen's conversation during the opening of the Senedd were picked up by the event's live stream camera, according to the Daily Mail.

The clips - parts of which are inaudible - show the Queen chatting with the Duchess of Cornwall and Elin Jones, the Senedd's presiding officer.

The Queen appears to say: "I've been hearing all about COP... I still don't know who's coming."

In a separate clip, she remarks "we only know about people who are not coming", before adding: "It's really irritating when they talk, but they don't do."

Ms Jones appears to reference the Duke of Cambridge in her reply to the Queen's remarks, saying she had been watching him "on television this morning saying there's no point going into space, we need to save the Earth".

Analysis

By Sean Coughlan, BBC royal correspondent

This wasn't a formal intervention from the Queen, but a few private words that were overheard.

That her comments about climate change are making headlines shows how unusual it is to hear the Queen's private thoughts on public matters - because her role requires her to stay outside of political debate.

This rare insight suggests the 95-year-old Queen remains very engaged with the current issues around the COP26 summit - in a week when Prince Charles and Prince William were also talking about protecting the environment.

But it also shows the occupational hazard of being followed everywhere by cameras and microphones.

And in her comments about having "no idea" who was coming to COP26, there was also a glimpse of a slightly exasperated host, not sure who was going to turn up for an event.

Prince William spoke to the BBC's Newscast on Thursday, and suggested entrepreneurs should focus on saving Earth rather than engaging in space tourism.

He also warned the COP26 summit against "clever speak, clever words but not enough action", saying it was "critical" for the world leaders to "communicate very clearly and very honestly what the problems are and what the solutions are going to be".

In an interview with the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt, the Prince of Wales said he was worried that world leaders would "just talk" when they meet, saying: "The problem is to get action on the ground".


Watch: The Queen appeared to suggest she was irritated by leaders' slow response to the climate crisis.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×