UK Envoy Reveals His 'Oops Moment' During Rishi Sunak's Visit To India

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis walked down memory lane to remember his "high & low life of diplomacy" in 2023.

Dec 31, 2023 - 14:20
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UK Envoy Reveals His 'Oops Moment' During Rishi Sunak's Visit To India

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis walked down memory lane to remember his “high & low life of diplomacy” in 2023.

The UK envoy on Friday said that he faced an oops moment during UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty's first official visit to India in September for the G20 Summit.

The British High Commission shared a thread on X (formerly Twitter), talking about a wardrobe malfunction just as he was about to welcome the couple.

Ellis explained how he discovered a “huge rip” in his trousers, while he was standing up to greet the UK's head of government.

He began his post with the text, “The high & low life of diplomacy for me in 2023.”

In another post, the British High Commission claimed it to be one of the “biggest moments” in the life of “an Ambassador/High Commissioner”. It read, “One of the biggest moments for an Ambassador/High Commissioner is when your head of government visits the country to which you're accredited.”

It added, “Especially for the British High Commissioner to India when your head of government is of Indian heritage and his wife is Indian.”

Sharing the throwback picture, Ellis wrote, “So extra anticipation as Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty arrive for the G20 Summit in Delhi. The red carpet unfurls…”

Next, Ellis dropped the picture of his torn trousers lying on what looked like a couch and revealed that he was wearing his “favourite suit”, which was “light and comfortable.” But the “disaster” struck the moment he stood up to move towards the red carpet.

He wrote, “And I am ready, in my favourite suit - light, comfortable and my go-to for many events. But…as I get up to go to the aircraft, disaster strikes.”

“Yes, I have a huge rip in my trousers. But the red carpet is unfurled, the Indian protocol is waiting, and the plane door is about to open. And it's windy…..,” he added.

At that very moment, Ellis showed courage and walked up to the red carpet, but wisely decided to stand “downwind of the photographers.”

Sharing a group picture of himself with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak his wife Akshata Murty, and Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Ellis wrote, “So it's grin and hold it - note the firmly pressed arms tight by my side, and careful positioning to be downwind of the photographers.”

He concluded his thread by saying, “All passes without incident, & the convoy is off. As David Frost once said to me, it's the stuff they can't train you for which makes the job…End.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak landed at the Palam airport in New Delhi along with his wife Akshata Murty on September 8.

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