Rudy Giuliani denies mocking the Queen in 9/11 speech
Rudy Giuliani has defended his imitation of the Queen during a bizarre speech on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks after he was criticised for mocking the 95-year-old monarch.
The former New York City mayor attempted a British accent as he described the Queen's decision to award him an honorary knighthood in recognition of his stewardship of his city following the terror attack.
Speaking at a commemoration event on Saturday, Mr Giuliani told the attendees: "She said, 'You did a wonderful job on 11 September. And therefore I'm making you an honorary knight, commander of the royal something or other."
He then wrongly claimed that he turned down the honour "because if you took a knighthood, you had to lose your citizenship".
Mr Giuliani said it was "outrageous" to suggest he had mocked the Queen's accent.
Rudy rolled into the 9/11 dinner drunk out of his mind tonight. Here he is giving his Queen Elisabeth impression, and assuring the audience he was never with a young girl and Prince Andrew. pic.twitter.com/U40YSzS34X
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 12, 2021
"I have never mocked it. I just like to use an English [accent] - I imitate Churchill sometimes," he told Mail Online.
The 77-year-old also claimed that there was deep mutual respect between himself and the Queen, claiming the monarch told him he was a "great leader".
"It was a beautiful interchange," he said.
During the rambling speech, Mr Giuliani then moved on to the Queen's youngest son, the Duke of York, who has been accused of sexual assault of a teenager in a civil lawsuit currently underway in New York.
Prince Andrew has always denied the allegations.
Mr Giuliani appeared to poke fun at the prince's current legal woes, saying to laughs from the audience: "I know Prince Andrew is very questionable now. I never went out with him - ever. Never had a drink with him, never was with a woman or young girl with him - ever, ever, ever."
Mr Giuliani was awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen in February 2002. After the ceremony, he had lunch with the Lord Mayor of London and the Duke of York at Mansion House.
During his speech at upscale Manhattan restaurant Cipriani, Mr Giuliani also attacked President Joe Biden for his "insane" US military withdrawal from Afghanistan last month.
He went on to brand America's top general, Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, an "idiot".
Mr Giuliani, who most recently served as a lawyer to Donald Trump, denied being drunk when he delivered his speech after footage of the event circulated on social media and led some to suggest he was inebriated.
"Yes I had a Scotch. But I was not drunk. There is a deliberate attempt [by] the left wing to paint me that way," he told Mail Online.
