Queen Tricked Onto Airwaves
Queen Elizabeth II was tricked into going on the air with a radio host impersonating the Canadian prime minister largely because of a foul-up in Ottawa, Buckingham Palace said Saturday.
After Montreal radio host Pierre Brassard asked to speak to the queen, Buckingham Palace checked with Canadian officials. An official in Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s office said the Canadian leader probably wanted to update the queen on Monday’s separatism vote in Quebec.
The queen then spoke with Brassard for 17 minutes Thursday because he is “a skilled impersonator,” a palace spokesman said.
Brassard spoke with the queen about subjects ranging from her Halloween plans to the Quebec referendum. The queen voiced her support for Canadian unity.
Brassard has duped other famous people, including Pope John Paul II and Brigitte Bardot, into going on the air.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
