NORTH Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has congratulated the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee.
The UK began a four-day celebration marking her 70 years on the throne on Thursday.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on its website that Kim sent a letter congratulating the Queen and the British people.
North Korea and Britain established diplomatic relations in 2000 and have maintained embassies in each other’s capitals despite a steady decline in bilateral ties.
North Korea’s relations with the West have worsened in recent years as it accelerated its nuclear weapons and missile development in a push to acquire an arsenal that could threaten the United States and its allies in Asia.
North Korea has criticised Britain in recent years for supporting international sanctions against the country over its nuclear ambitions and human rights record, and for participating in a new US-led alliance to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "The private message from Kim Jong Un to Her Majesty The Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee is in line with standard practice of receiving messages from countries with whom we have diplomatic relations."
They declined to share the text of the message, insisting it was a private letter addressed to the Queen.
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