British National Party leader Nick Griffin was
told to stay away from a Buckingham Palace affair 2 hours before its scheduled start, the queen's office said.
The office of Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement suggesting Griffin had been using the invitation to a garden party for his own ends, The Guardian reported. Griffin was invited because he is an elected member of the European Parliament.
"Nick Griffin MEP will be denied entry to today's garden party at Buckingham Palace due to the fact he has overtly used his personal invitation for party political purposes through the media," the statement said. "This, in turn, has increased the security threat and the potential discomfort to the many other guests also attending. We would apply the same rules to anyone who would try to blatantly politicize their attendance in this way."
Griffin responded angrily, saying he had never been told not to talk about going to the party. He called the royal action "unBritish."
After being invited to the palace, Griffin talked in a TV interview about meeting the queen "over sandwiches" and on his Web site asked his supporters to send in suggested questions.