Irish rugby union star Ronan O'Gara has explained why he had his hands in his pockets when meeting Queen Elizabeth II. O'Gara and his Irish teammates met Her Majesty back in 2009.
The 45-year-old and the Ireland team appeared at a civic reception when being recognised for their Grand Slam achievement 13 years ago. The Queen greeted the players, shaking their hands as she went down the line.
As she made her way to O'Gara a photo appeared to show the fly-half standing with his hands in his pockets, leading many to accuse the Irishman of disrespecting Her Majesty - though that wasn't the case.
The 45-year-old though has since rubbished the claims that he snubbed The Queen, claiming he was preparing his hand for a handshake after being sweaty. O'Gara opened up on the controversy when speaking to Paddy McKenna back in 2017 in a 'Frank and Honest' interview series.
He said: "The picture appeared in the Irish Times where everyone was convinced that I refused to shake her hand. t's a completely opportunistic photo...
"I don't have any strong beliefs on the monarchy, (but) I'd like to think my parents reared me well. You're respectful to older women, to women in general.
"My hands were sweaty. I had my hands in (my pockets). I was cleaning my hands from sweat to make sure there wasn't a layer of sweat before I shook her hand."
