Irish premier Leo Varadkar’s partner apologises for ‘poor judgement’ coronation posts
‘We’ve spoken about it and I think it’s fair to say it won’t happen again,’ the Taoiseach said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Irish premier Leo Varadkar’s partner has apologised for social media posts he made about the coronation of the King, saying they reflected “poor judgment”.
Mr Varadkar and his partner Matt Barrett were among those in attendance at the recent coronation service for Charles at Westminster Abbey in London.
They were also present at a reception in Buckingham Palace on May 5 and spoke to Charles ahead of the coronation ceremony the following day.
The Irish Times reported this week that Mr Barrett had posted several comments about the coronation to his Instagram account while attending the event.
Millie Mackintosh says she was ‘ghosted’ by Meghan Markle after she started dating Prince Harry
King Charles may be in ‘perpetual orbit’ as he takes his pick of royal residences
Prince Andrew ‘refusing to budge’ from Royal Lodge despite possible eviction
Royal fans delighted by Princess of Wales’s stunning Eurovision cameo: ‘Has the champagne gone to my head?’
When asked about the Instagram posts on Monday, Mr Varadkar said that it would be a “fair comment” to describe them as “irreverent”.
“Matt is a private individual, my partner for over seven years now,” he said.
“And it was some private messages sent to some friends on his private account.
“He never intended for them to go public but that happens sometimes and, look, we’ve spoken about it and I think it’s fair to say it won’t happen again.
He never intended for them to go public but that happens sometimes and, look, we've spoken about it and I think it's fair to say it won't happen again
When asked if should he apologise, the Taoiseach said: “He’s a private individual and that’s obviously up to him but, like I say, private account, was never intended to be shared publicly and I don’t think we’re going to see a repeat of it.”
Shortly after this, Mr Barrett tweeted an apology: “On reflection, poor judgment on my part. Unreservedly apologise for any offence caused.”