Kemi and the King: Badenoch meets Charles at Buckingham Palace

held a one-to-one audience with the King today after Charles reviving an old political convention.

The monarch welcomed Mrs Badenoch in the grand 1844 Room of Buckingham Palace this morning.

She is said to be the first opposition leader to have a formal one-to-one audience with a monarch in 19 years.

, when he met with the late Queen in 2006.

A royal source said: “It was a convention that fell by the way in latter years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s reign and seemed a courtesy to revive in the new reign.”

It is not known why the tradition lapsed during Labour’s years in opposition.

The King and Mrs Badenoch have met several times before, most recently at Charles’s post-election reception for MPs at the palace last week, and also in June 2023 at a King’s Award for Enterprise reception, when Mrs Badenoch was trade secretary.

Sir Keir Starmer met with Charles two days after Elizabeth II died, but the audience with the Labour leader was a joint one with other opposition leaders and part of the planned schedule of meetings in the aftermath of the Queen’s death.

The King holds a private weekly audience with the Prime Minister each Wednesday to discuss Government matters following Prime Minister’s Questions, with the conversation usually taking place face-to-face.

Although the King must remain politically neutral on all matters, he is able to advise and warn his ministers – including his prime minister – when necessary.

Last month it was reported that the environmentally conscious monarch 'loves' effots by Net Zero minister Ed Miliband's to make the UK greener.

that the King had praised Mr Miliband and his work to another senior Labour figure.

This is despite critics warning that they could be disastrous for the economy and could drive up domestic bills rather than reduce them.

Internally, Labour figures are also said to be nervous of his efforts at a time when they are being pilloried over a failure to yet turn round the economy.

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