Queen Elizabeth calls leaders 'irritating' -media

The comments, reported by the British media, came as the monarch was speaking to Welsh Parliament Presiding Officer Elin Jones at the opening of the sixth session of the Welsh parliament in Cardiff.

Her grandson, Prince William, took a thinly veiled swipe at the billionaires embroiled in a space tourism race, saying during a BBC interview aired on Thursday that the world's greatest brains should instead be focused on solving the environmental problems facing the Earth.

Speaking out on green issues has become a major feature of the British royal family, and William, 39, is following in the footsteps of his late grandfather Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband, and his father, Prince Charles.

Charles, the 72-year-old heir to the throne, has for decades called for action to stop climate change and environmental damage, long before the issue became mainstream, often facing ridicule along the way.