The 14-second video clip, which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times, shows Trudeau in a T-shirt leaning against a piano at the Corinthia Hotel and joining others in a cover of one of the rock band Queen’s most famous songs. Last night in Savoy. Our UK Prime Minister represents Canada at the Queen’s funeral. 🤦🏻♀️ How do you say you were a drama teacher without saying you were a drama teacher. pic.twitter.com/kfRlve7pmV — Lisa Power (@LisaPow33260238) September 19, 2022 Trudeau is heard singing “Easy come, easy go, little high, little low” and “Any way the wind blows” along with acclaimed Canadian pianist Gregory Charles. The video initially sparked heated debate over its authenticity, but Trudeau’s team later acknowledged that the cellphone video was real. “After dinner on Saturday, [the] the prime minister participated in a small gathering with members of the Canadian delegation, who gathered to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s life and service,” a spokesman for the prime minister said, adding that Trudeau “engaged in a number of activities” paying respect to Elizabeth B. while in London. The spokesman said Charles, an Order of Canada recipient, played a number of songs on the piano, “which resulted in some members of the delegation joining in, including the prime minister.” Charles later told the Globe and Mail that the evening reminded him of Caribbean funerals, which combine somber moments with gaiety and celebration. “They all sang with me for two hours,” he said. “That was the feeling, it was a lot of fun.” At home, the prime minister was heavily criticized by some political commentators for a breach of decorum. “Embarrassing doesn’t even begin to describe it. Yes, people sometimes need to let off steam. No, no evidence he was drunk,” Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne tweeted. “But come on – he’s the Prime Minister, in public, on the eve of the Queen’s funeral. And this is how he behaves?’ Others said the ruckus was akin to a manufactured controversy. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Political commentator David Mossrop tweeted: “* asteroid heading towards earth, giving humanity months to live. Only one last collective effort will save the planet – and the species* Canada Twitter: let’s do a forensic analysis of exactly when the prime minister sang a fancy rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.’ Lawyer and author Mark Bourrie wrote that he wanted others to “sing as much as you like in the days leading up to my funeral”. “Sea shacks, dirty songs we sang together as kids, tunes we blasted at 10 o’clock on the stereo, songs from records we picked together, songs we heard together at concerts,” he tweeted. “Celebrate life.” Trudeau, who attended the state funeral along with members of the Canadian delegation, has previously said the Queen, whom he met many times, was “one of my favorite people in the world”.
