Britain's Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Christian Turner, said in February that the 'only country' with a 'special relationship' with the United States is 'probably Israel.' The remarks, made to British high-school students visiting the U.S., were leaked to the Financial Times and reported on Tuesday. Turner also called the term 'special relationship'—originally coined by Winston Churchill to describe U.S.-U.K. ties—'quite nostalgic' and 'backwards-looking.'
In a statement to CBS News, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Turner's comments were 'private, informal remarks' and 'not any reflection of the UK Government's position.' Turner did acknowledge the strength of U.K.-U.S. ties, citing 'a deep history and affinity' and 'intertwined' defense and security cooperation.
The comments come as King Charles III and Queen Camilla paid a formal state visit to the U.S., being welcomed at the White House by President Joe Biden. Turner also noted that the Epstein scandal had 'brought down' senior British figures but had 'really not touched anybody' in the U.S.