Taoiseach’s partner Matt Barrett apologises for Instagram posts at coronation

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s partner Matt Barrett has said he “unreservedly apologises” for comments he made on his Instagram account relating to the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla.

In a Twitter post on Monday, Mr Barrett said: “On reflection, poor judgment on my part. Unreservedly apologise for any offence caused.”

Speaking to reporters earlier on Monday, Mr Varadkar said the comments made to a group of 350 private followers on Mr Barrett’s Instagram were “irreverent” to the Royal family.

The lighthearted Instagram posts were first highlighted in Saturday’s Irish Times by Miriam Lord. One before the coronation posted from the car with views of the crowds waiting at the Mall stated: “Holy sh*t I think I’m accidentally crowned king of England.”

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He continued to post from inside Westminster Abbey during the coronation, though guests were told to put their phones away, and compared Charles’s crown to the sorting hat in the Harry Potter books.

[ ‘Red faces in Ireland’: British media responds to Matt Barrett’s coronation Instagram posts ]

Speaking in Limerick on Monday, Mr Varadkar said: “Yeah, look, Matt’s a private individual, my partner for over seven years now, and it was some private messages sent to some friends on his private account. You know, he never intended them to go public, but that happens sometimes,” the Taoiseach told reporters in Limerick.

Mr Varadkar said he had addressed Mr Barrett about the matter, and he was confident it would not happen again: “We’ve spoken about it and I think it’s fair to say it won’t happen again.”

Asked by reporters if he believed the messages were inappropriate, and if Mr Barrett should apologise, the Taoiseach replied: “Ah look, he’s (Mr Barrett) a private individual, and that’s obviously up to him. But like I say, (it was) a private account, it was never intended to be shared publicly, and I don’t think we’re going to see a repeat of it.”

When asked if he felt the messages were irreverent, Mr Varadkar replied: “Yeah, I think ‘irreverent’ would be fair comment.”

When asked if he felt embarrassed by reports that the messages were posted from Mr Barrett’s account while he was present in the Taoiseach’s VIP motorcade and in Westminster Abbey where attendees were ordered to turn off their mobile phones, the Taoiseach replied: “Well, look, I think I’ve answered that question.”

Mr Barrett did not respond to queries from The Irish Times.

His comments on the private Instagram account have been reported in the British press as being “embarrassing” and “highly insulting”.

The Daily Mail reported that the remarks “caused outrage”, though the only person quoted expressing outrage was the London-based Irish designer Paul Costelloe. Mr Costelloe told The Sunday Independent: “For people living over here, it puts you in a very embarrassing situation. I think it’s terribly hard to make excuses for that sort of behaviour. You can say it’s amusing and all, but you can’t do that type of thing.

“They should have turned their phones off before they went in and Leo should have told him to put his phone away.”

The Daily Telegraph reported that Dr Barrett was accused of “embarrassing his country”, again referring to Mr Costelloe.

According to the Guardian there were “red faces in Ireland over coronation quips” and quoted Mr Costelloe: “The British now had material to say the Irish did not know how to behave in such circumstances. I just hope the English press don’t get hold of it.”