LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - British secretary Georgina Liketa-Solomon ignored Prime Minister Tony Blair's attempts to strike up a conversation on London's underground railway -- preferring to listen to Whitney Houston on her personal stereo.

Her refusal to respond to Blair's greeting during a photo opportunity on the underground last week provoked much amusement in the British press.

But Blair won the 29-year-old over when officials invited her to his Downing Street office on Tuesday.

Liketa-Solomon, who met Blair after a tour of the building, was quoted on Wednesday as saying: ``It was lovely. He laughed and said he just wanted to say sorry for the misunderstanding.''

She had been enjoying Houston's new album ``My Love Is Your Love'' when Blair sat down next to her on the underground.

``I'm always the same in the mornings. I put my Walkman on...and turn off,'' she told the Star tabloid.