What is so funny in this sentence of Theresa May that all MPs laughed so much?

Question

This sentence is from the ITV web site in which it tells about how Theresa May paid tribute to the Queen.

"Mrs May also recounted her weekly audiences with the monarch during her time as prime minister, joking it was the only meeting she knew “would not be briefed out to the media”.

When she said this, everybody laughed so much.

What I understood from the sentence is that she and the queen came together many times in what is called "audiences". So, when they met in audiences, they talked about things, and those things are kept so confidential.

If what I understand is correct, people would not laugh so much. So, I think I missed a point or may be there is a culturally funny thing in the sentence.

So, what is it in that sentence that made everyone laugh so much?

Answer 1

It's funny if you are an MP. It's not very funny otherwise.

Mrs May is saying that her colleagues (who were supposed to be on her side) would discuss their private meetings with journalists (to do her political damage).

It is funny to an MP, because it relates to their lives of political intrigue. It's not particularly funny otherwise.

Answer 2

The comment was laughed at by the MPs (Members of Parliament) who were present. This is because in UK politics details of what is said in ordinary meetings (not ones with the monarch), that politicians have is often leaked ('briefed') to the media by some participants, or others, often in a way that is hostile or inconvenient to some of the participants. It is very hard to keep anything confidential. This is a fact of political life. The politicians present were laughing ruefully because most of them have had experience of this.