Buckingham Palace complains to press regulator over The Sun's 'Queen backs Brexit' story

Buckingham Palace has made a formal complaint to the press watchdog over a story in The Sun newspaper that claimed the Queen has been "hailed as a backer of Brexit". The story, which ran on the front page of the tabloid, claimed there had been an "extraordinary bust-up" between the Queen and then deputy prime minister Nick Clegg during lunch at Windsor Castle.

The article said the monarch had voiced concerns to Clegg that the EU was "heading in the wrong direction". A "highly reliable source" apparently told the paper: "People who heard their conversation were left in no doubt at all about the Queen's views on European integration. It was really something, and it went on for quite a while. The EU is clearly something Her Majesty feels passionately about."

The Sun is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who has previously voiced opposition to the EU ahead of the upcoming referendum. Clegg has denied the story, writing on Twitter: "I don't have a photographic memory. But I think I would have remembered something as stark or significant as you have made it out to be."

He added: "Anyway, without sounding pompous, I find it rather distasteful to reveal conversations with the Queen."

Buckingham Palace has now confirmed it has complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) over claims the Queen holds Eurosceptic views.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we have this morning written to the chairman of the Independent Press Standards Organisation to register a complaint about the front page story in today's [9 March] Sun newspaper. The complaint relates to clause one of the editors' code of practice."