Boris Johnson gave a New Testament reading centred on integrity at the Queen's Thanksgiving Service - and royal watchers immediately described it as "ironic".
The Prime Minister had just been booed and jeered as he awkwardly walked up the stairs to St Paul's Cathedral with his wife Carrie.
The pair who apologised in April after the Metropolitan Police handed them fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the party in the Cabinet Room on June 19 2020, braved the jeering walking hand in hand.
More than 400 people attended the Cathedral service, and watched the embattled PM read the Bible verse at the ceremony focused entirely on celebrating the monarch’s 70-year reign.
Famous faces from the world of politics included Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Brexit Opportunities minister Jacob Rees Mogg and former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Reading a passage from from Phillipians 4:8, Mr Johnson said: "Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable … think about these things.”
Members of the public were quick to highlight the "irony" of the reading, as it comes after months of controversy for Mr Johnson and the Tory government following a number of rule-breaking Number 10 parties during lockdown.
One said: "Whoever chose this clearly has a sound grasp of irony", followed by another post on Twitter: "Words that have no meaning to him."
The Tory government had apparently been trying to prepare for the PM's public appearance today, by unleashing a flurry of policies to woo voters on the bring of backing another party.
But it did little to lighten the mood at St Paul's Cathedral this afternoon.
Labour MP Karl Turner said: "Our Prime Minister of our great country. The greatest country on earth being booed at the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen. What a great shame he’s brought to the great office of Prime Minister."
Labour MP Jess Phillips added: "It's ok, he has a plan to win them over, they are gonna love him again when they can buy apples by the pound."
Ms Phillips later retweeted a Twitter post which said: "There'll be a Conservative Minister on TV later telling us that everyone was actually cheering for him"
At around the same time, Labour MPs continued to share posts on social media, describing how positive the mood is in Wakefield, weeks ahead of the by-election.
Navendu Mishra said he had "lots of positive doorstep conversations" yesterday.
