Boris Johnson has apologised to the Queen for a boozy lockdown party held at Downing Street.
The PM was breathing heavily behind his face mask as he said he "deeply and bitterly" regretted breaching the rules while the rest of Britain made heartbreaking sacrifices.
Mr Johnson was breaking cover for the first time in days to insist that he hadn't lied to Parliament about the event in May 2020, which he has admitted attending for 25 minutes.
"I deeply and bitterly regret that that happened," he told reporters today.
"I can only renew my apologies both to Her Majesty and to the country for misjudgments that were made, and for which I take full responsibility.''
But insisted "nobody told me" the garden bash broke Covid rules.
He repeatedly rejected former aide Dominic Cummings ' claim that he had been warned about the event in advance and he was now lying about it.
Pressed again that he was lying, Mr Johnson said: "Nobody told me, nobody said that this was something that was against the rules, that was a breach of the Covid rules or you're doing something that wasn't a work event because frankly I can't imagine why on earth we would have gone ahead."
He added: "I do humbly apologise to people for misjudgments that were made but that is the very, very best of my recollection about this event, that's what I've said to the inquiry.
"I carry full responsibility for what took place but nobody told me, I'm absolutely categorical, nobody said to me this is an event that is against the rules."
The PM claimed he only saw the now infamous "bring your own booze" invite sent to staff by his principal private secretary Martin Reynolds "the other day... when it emerged".
In a lengthy interview, Mr Johnson appeared distressed when he was grilled over the latest revelations that there were two boozy leaving dos at Downing Street on the eve of Prince Phillip's funeral last year.
The Queen was pictured sitting alone at the service the next day, in line with Covid social distancing rules and regulations at the time.
Top civil servant Sue Gray is investigating the event as part of her inquiry into allegations of rule-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.
Her report is not expected to come until next week at the earliest.
