HC Deb 30 May 1963 vol 678 cc1519-20
16. Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what enquiries he made before 2nd May into the incident in which the Queen of Greece claimed to have been molested near Claridge's Hotel; and if he satisfied that no physical violence was offered to her.

Mr. Brooke

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 16th May.

Mr. Driberg

Whatever view is taken of this incident, is it not at least desirable that the House of Commons should be correctly informed? Does not the right hon. Gentleman recall that he has repeatedly stated that the Queen "was not touched," while the Prime Minister said that Her Majesty's Government naturally accepted the Queen's account of the incident, in which she claimed to have been seized by the shoulders? Will he kindly clarify the point? These two statements cannot both be true.

Mr. Brooke

The Prime Minister stated that the Government accepted absolutely the Queen's account of these proceedings. I made reference to an initial report I received from the police. I have no doubt whatever that what the Queen said was the fact, but I would suggest to the House that we might now all endorse what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said—that he regarded this incident as closed.

Sir T. Moore

Can my right hon. Friend devise any means by which we can give a special welcome to their Greek Majesties on their State visit, so as to show how deeply we deplore the insults offered to Her Majesty as a guest of this country?

Mr. Brooke

I certainly hope that that will be the case, because I believe that any insults that were offered to her by ill-intentioned people are deplored by the country as a whole.

Mr. Driberg

If the facts of the matter are so unsure, and if the police, according to the Home Secretary, were so unobservant that they did not notice this physical violence being offered to Her Majesty, what guarantee can the right hon. Gentleman offer the Greek Government that she will be properly protected if the State visit occurs?

Mr. Brooke

The hon. Gentleman must recognise that, in regard to any sort of scuffle, the first reports one receives are bound to be confused. This is not something of which one has a film and can examine precisely what happened. But, in my view, the matter has been cleared up, and I hope that the House will regard it as closed.