Jun 26, 2009, 11:05 GMT
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has confirmed he promised Britain's Queen Elizabeth he would not watch 2006 movie 'The Queen'.
Blair opened up about a discussion he had with the monarch during one of his weekly audiences with her as Prime Minister - even though details of the meetings are supposed to be kept secret.
He told Vanity Fair magazine: "I had my weekly audience with the real queen. She opened by saying, 'I gather there's a film? I'd just like you to know that I'm not going to watch it. Are you?'
"Like a dutiful subject I said, 'No, of course not.' "
The movie - for which Dame Helen Mirren won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the royal - tells the story of the monarch and Prime Minister's relationship following the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
Blair added: "For the first time, in a tragic and difficult situation, I had to deal closely with the royal family."
Buckingham Palace are said to be annoyed at Blair's decision to discuss the pact.
A senior royal source said: "It is a private audience. We do not discuss them. If others choose to do so, it is a matter for them."
Conservative MP David Davies fumed: "I can't remember any Prime Minister breaching confidence in this way before."
Actor Michael Sheen, who played Blair in the movie, was the first to reveal the queen and Blair had discussed the film.
Earlier this month, he said: "I heard through a fairly reliable source that there was an agreement she was not going to watch the film and Mr. Blair wasn't going to watch the film either."
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