Sir Tony Blair has revealed the late Queen ’s brilliant sense of humour during a Downing Street dinner. In the newest episode of Ruthie’s Table 4, the former Prime Minister reflects on food, family, and memorable political moments. He shares stories of cooking for his children at Chequers, dining with heads of state, and experiences with leaders such as the late Queen Elizabeth II and former French President Jacques Chirac.
Recalling his visits to Buckingham Palace , Blair described them as grand occasions. He fondly remembered a dinner at Downing Street with former prime ministers and the Queen, where she joked: “Well, you all know each other anyway.” Previously he lifted the lid on his interactions with Her Majesty during his time as Prime Minister between 1997 and 2007.
He described country weekends at Balmoral as "a vivid combination of the intriguing, the surreal and the utterly freaky" and added he endured these trips with "a bit of horror". Summing up his view of the royals, Tony wrote in his book, which was released in 2010: "Individually, it can be a little nerve-racking to be with them; en masse, all of them and just [my wife] Cherie and me, well, you can imagine." Sir Tony also spoke of how the Queen displayed "hauteur".
Following the tragic death of Princess Diana, he spent some time with the royals at Balmoral again. This led to a tense conversation, he recalled: "I talked about the need to learn lessons. "I worried afterwards she would think I was lectur.