Buckingham Palace hit out Wednesday at a report which claimed Queen Elizabeth II is in favour of Britain leaving the European Union.
The Sun, Britain's most-read newspaper, put the headline "Queen backs Brexit" on its front page with a photograph of the monarch, with the sub-heading "EU going in wrong direction, she says".
But Buckingham Palace insisted Queen Elizabeth, who became the sovereign in 1952, did not take sides in politics, in line with her constitutional duty.
Britain is due to vote on June 23 on whether to remain a member of the 28-member European Union.
"The Queen remains politically neutral as she has for 63 years," a palace spokesman said.
"We will not comment on spurious, anonymously sourced claims. The referendum is a matter for the British people to decide."
The Sun tabloid cited an anonymous "senior source" who said that Queen Elizabeth, 89, had "let rip" at the pro-EU politician Nick Clegg during a lunch in 2011 when he was deputy prime minister.
"People who heard their conversation were left in no doubt at all about the queen's views on European integration," the source was quoted to say.
"It was really something, and it went on for quite a while.
"The EU is clearly something her majesty feels passionately about."
But Clegg, who led the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and was deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2015, denied the report.
"This is nonsense," he wrote on Twitter. "I've no recollection of this happening and its not the sort of thing I would forget."
Opinion polls show that the campaign to remain within the EU is slightly ahead, but its lead over the "Leave" campaign has narrowed in recent months.
In June last year, an address by Queen Elizabeth in Germany was interpreted by some as expressing a pro-EU view.
During her state banquet speech, she said "division in Europe is dangerous".
Buckingham Palace said at the time: "The Queen's speech speaks for itself on the threats of division and the benefits of unity.
"As ever, the Queen is above politics and is politically neutral on the EU."
Buckingham Palace hit out Wednesday at a report which claimed Queen Elizabeth II is in favour of Britain leaving the European Union.
The Sun, Britain’s most-read newspaper, put the headline “Queen backs Brexit” on its front page with a photograph of the monarch, with the sub-heading “EU going in wrong direction, she says”.
But Buckingham Palace insisted Queen Elizabeth, who became the sovereign in 1952, did not take sides in politics, in line with her constitutional duty.
Britain is due to vote on June 23 on whether to remain a member of the 28-member European Union.
“The Queen remains politically neutral as she has for 63 years,” a palace spokesman said.
“We will not comment on spurious, anonymously sourced claims. The referendum is a matter for the British people to decide.”
The Sun tabloid cited an anonymous “senior source” who said that Queen Elizabeth, 89, had “let rip” at the pro-EU politician Nick Clegg during a lunch in 2011 when he was deputy prime minister.
“People who heard their conversation were left in no doubt at all about the queen’s views on European integration,” the source was quoted to say.
“It was really something, and it went on for quite a while.
“The EU is clearly something her majesty feels passionately about.”
But Clegg, who led the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and was deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2015, denied the report.
“This is nonsense,” he wrote on Twitter. “I’ve no recollection of this happening and its not the sort of thing I would forget.”
Opinion polls show that the campaign to remain within the EU is slightly ahead, but its lead over the “Leave” campaign has narrowed in recent months.
In June last year, an address by Queen Elizabeth in Germany was interpreted by some as expressing a pro-EU view.
During her state banquet speech, she said “division in Europe is dangerous”.
Buckingham Palace said at the time: “The Queen’s speech speaks for itself on the threats of division and the benefits of unity.
“As ever, the Queen is above politics and is politically neutral on the EU.”
