Hot Mic: Queen Caught Criticizing 'Rude' Chinese

Queen Elizabeth II was overheard on video describing Chinese officials as "very rude" in a conversation with a senior police officer at a Buckingham Palace event celebrating her birthday. In the video, Metropolitan Police Commander Lucy D'Orsi—security chief during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the UK last fall—tells the queen it had been a "testing time," with some "very rude and very undiplomatic" behavior from Chinese officials, the Guardian reports. Elizabeth then says: "They were very rude to the ambassador." The comments, which became public Wednesday, were unusual because the 90-year-old monarch has been careful to steer clear of politics, notes the AP. British officials have so far declined to comment on the queen's remarks. (More Queen Elizabeth II stories.)