Controversy abounds in the United Kingdom, where reports emerged over the weekend that Sylvie-Agnes Bermann, the French ambassador, was insulted by an offer of tea and biscuits from Hilary Benn, the new shadow cabinet’s foreign secretary.

“Madame is very big on etiquette and exporting civilized values around the world,” an anonymous source in the French foreign ministry in Paris told the Mail on Sunday. “If you visit the Elyseé Palace, you’re likely to get a cordon bleu meal and vintage wine dating back to the time of Napoleon. There is no reason why the English can’t try and match this.” True—it’s a simple enough request.

But! The English have no time for such Continental decadence. “It was incredible. Hilary’s team could not have been more polite but the French kicked up a fuss because they were served biscuits,” another source told the Mail. “They may have Moet and caviar at the French Embassy, but not in the House of Commons—certainly not with Hilary Benn.” Certainly not!

In an editorial, the Independent tried to make peace:

Mr Benn, it seems, takes after his father in possessing impeccable manners and a taste for tea (Tony famously used to quaff it by the pint mug, and was also teetotal). Mme Bermann, equally validly, and equally polite, believes in cordon bleu and fine wine. Both of the left, Mr Benn represents a fine non-conformist, even Roundheaded approach to life, while Sylvie-Agnès seems the champagne socialist type. There is room for both in the corridors of power, and room for both in our European Union. Vive la différence, as they say over there, over tea.

A spokesman for the French embassy denied the affair altogether. “These allegations are pure invention and completely false,” the spokesman told the Independent. “It was an interesting meeting that took place during the afternoon but nothing was said about the biscuits whatsoever.”

Perhaps nothing needed to be said, monsieur spokesman.

Photo credit: Getty Images. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.