Britain's Royal Family won't attend D-Day ceremonies

[CHIMO]

Source: CBC News

No members of Britain's Royal Family will attend ceremonies marking the 65th anniversary of D-Day after France failed to invite Queen Elizabeth, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

"We have not received an invitation to attend a D-Day ceremony, and therefore the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family will not be attending the commemorations next weekend," said a statement from Buckingham Palace spokesman Nick Loughran on Thursday.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama will be among the dignitaries in Normandy on June 6 to mark the anniversary of the Allied landings in France, which accelerated the liberation of Europe from Adolf Hitler's Germany.

Brown and Obama will join French President Nicolas Sarkozy for ceremonies at American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach, while Harper will attend events at Juno Beach, the entry point for Canadian soldiers.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/05/29/normandy-queen-france029.html

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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are joined by their daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as the crowd cheers at their VE Day appearance May 8, 1945. (Associated Press)
Last Updated: Friday, May 29, 2009 | 8:39 AM ET

[marmar]

1. Oh well, that's one less trip by the Royal Freeloading Family that Britons will have to finance.....

n/t

[Historic NY]

9. Excuse me, they are WWII veterans & allies...how soon you forget.

[marmar]

14. Yes, GREAT BRITAIN is an ally........

...... Was it Winston Churchill or Prince Charles that led Britain through "it's bravest hour"?

I have great reverence for Great Britain and the British people, not for figureheads.

[LostinVA]

20. Elizabeth II is the Queen and is a WWII vet -- she is much, much more than a figurehead

As were her parents during WWII.

[Sanity Claws]

25. The Royal Family was very involved in helping the Brits in WW II

King George and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, visited sites hit by the bombers. They were seen by the Brits as suffering along with the common folks. I believe the British believe the Royal Family acted admirably during the War.

[WolverineDG]

74. They refused to leave London

or evacuate Elizabeth & Margaret to Canada. The two girls were moved to Windsor though, but their parents remained at Buckingham Palace, which got a direct hit in the Blitz.

dg

[Honeycombe8]

137. Yes. They showed their grit during WWII. The Queen is more than just a pretty hat.

Frances and GB have disliked each other for centuries, but this snub was unforgiveable.

[rpannier]

39. Poor comparison

Charles wasn't even born then.

The Royal household (present Queen included) did help lead Britain in 'it's bravest hour.'

Ask the British WWII veterans who will be in attendance

[Captain Hilts]

41. I wonder if any of the UK vets will be pissed off. I'll bet they will. nt

[MasonJar]

64. Wrong! Elizabeth, though a young woman, was very involved in the war

effort, driving ambulances and many etcs.

[rpannier]

87. I never said she didn't

I said Charles wasn't born yet

I also said that The Royal Family (present Queen included) helped lead...

[enlightenment]

60. Not a great reverence for history or diplomacy, apparently.

Regardless of how you feel about 'figureheads', the Queen is Head of State and it was politically inappropriate to fail to invite her or someone representing the Royal family.

And the quote ends 'its finest hour'.

Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fall, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour!”
Winston Churchill

[Canuckistanian]

67. The Royal Family was a great inspiration during the war

The Queen Mother's regular tours of bombed-out London during the Blitz were GREAT morale-boosters.

Some palaces were even bombed during the Blitz and the Queen made it clear that she was nothing special.

And the people greatly respected her for that.

[WolverineDG]

73. Prince Charles was born after the war

:eyes:

QEII actually served her country, as did Prince Phillip (as much as it pains me to give him credit for anything). Not inviting them is a snub not just to them, but to all the Brits involved in WWII.

dg

[Captain Hilts]

16. Liz costs far less per year than the US prez, actually. nt

[marmar]

18. Yeah, but what does she do?

Answer: She Queens, and vacuums. (Chevy Chase, from "National Lampoon's European Vacation")

[Captain Hilts]

21. Goes to baseball games according to those Leslie Neilson movies.

She does a lot of ceremonial shit that keeps Gordon Brown working rather than wandering about.

[LostinVA]

22. Look at her calendar sometime

[Captain Hilts]

23. She's been sleeping by a red phone since 1952. And NO ONE hated Thatcher and GWB more.

QEII: Put a sock in it, Cowboy.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

45. Remember this?

As if we couldn't be even more embarrassed:

[Captain Hilts]

47. He's probably still got burn marks in that suit. nt

[Tangerine LaBamba]

52. Liz ...........

She given good Look, doesn't she?

[Captain Hilts]

54. A real skunk eye. And she knows he knows it's The Skunk Eye. nt

[Baby Snooks]

82. Not our finest hour...

But then this was followed by a first lady putting her arm around her and I guess the reality is when dealing with rude Americans who cannot follow even the most simplest of protocol you grin and bear it and even put your arm around the first lady. Knowing everyone who knows better knows better. A wink here, an arm there, and now this.

As for Brown, he forgets she still has the power to dismiss Parliament and call for new elections. She may not be able to do much about rude Americans but she can do something about rude British prime ministers.

[Captain Hilts]

94. The 'arm around Liz by Michelle' was perfectly okay. nt

[No Elephants]

119. I agree, especially since Liz put her arm around Michelle first. Elizabeth is not the boss

of our President and First Lady anyway.

[Captain Hilts]

125. She IS the boss when they are in her house, actually. nt

[madeline_con]

81. He's cocked. Look at his ears.

I'm SO glad we don't have to cringe every time the POTUS leaves the house.

[Captain Hilts]

92. Ain't that the truth. nt

[marmar]

27. I'm talking other than ceremonial things.....I'm sure she makes lots of appearances.

n/t

[Captain Hilts]

30. Tourist cash. You should see the scrum around the Buck House getting photographs.

It's amazing.

[marmar]

32. Actually I've been there for the changing of the guard....

.... the tourists even scared me off - and I was one of them!

[enlightenment]

62. She has other responsibilities.

Head of State
Head of the Armed Forces (including the sole authority to declare war)
Head of the C of E (including appointing bishops and archbishops)
Government duties - there are many legal documents that have to be signed by the Queen
She represents the nation in times of celebration or sorrow (like Remembrance Day)

[Baby Snooks]

83. She also defends the Constitution....

The reason why Great Britain did not approve the EU Constitution was that it would have replaced the Constitution of Great Britain and Parliament was informed that she would dismiss Parliament before she would allow them to approve it. So they didn't approve it.

She has more power than most Americans, and some British, realize.

[Captain Hilts]

95. June 14th is flag day in the US. June 15th is Magna Carta Day in UK. Fly 'em both!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eIz1ca9DF7c/STwI3WLyIYI/AAAAAAAAAZw/TTGzrBYbhok/s400/Brit+and+US+Flags+Final+640.jpg

[panzerfaust]

114. Where can one go to see the British Constitution?

The Constitution of the United States can be found in the US National Archives (and the USS Constitution can be found moored in Boston) - where can this "British Constitution" be found?

[Flagg]

116. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere I believe

[Captain Hilts]

126. There are several copies of the Magna Carta around. There's one in the US archives. nt

[Tangerine LaBamba]

42. Margaret and Elizabeth

stayed in London during the Blitz with their parents, who refused to desert their London subjects.

This is just rude....................

[Captain Hilts]

49. Using a 'ten year' rule with folks over 80 years old is...insensitive.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

51. I agree..........

There are rules, and then there is plain good sense, good manners.

Wouldn't the Queen and her consort be the only actual WWII veterans among the dignitaries?

[Captain Hilts]

53. Yes. Even if you don't go for all the royalty stuff, you treat them with the courtesy you would

treat ANY folks of that age. It's basic 'party manners' your parents taught you.

I know the veterans of the battle will want Liz and Phil there.

Hell, Liz's dad threatened to be in one of the waves at Normandy to keep Churchill from going!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

57. I just loved the Queen Mother,

who hunkered down and got out there with her kids and did so much during the worst days of the attacks.

They were heroic, and Liz is the last of them.

All veterans should be invited, that's what I think. We're losing them daily.

I read my old hometown newspaper online every day, and I see the obituaries of men I knew as I was growing up. Men my father's age. And when I read these obituaries, I have found out so many times that these men were decorated heroes in both theaters of WWII. Battle of the Bulge, one was taken prisoner by the Japanese and escaped TWICE, got captured THREE times, liberated concentration camps. These men were heroes, but I never heard a word about it.

And every time I see another one has departed, I feel a bit sadder..............................

[canetoad]

59. During the Blitz

when it was suggested they move to safety she said, "The girls will not go without me. And I won't leave without the King. And of course the King will never leave."

[Tangerine LaBamba]

61. Yep..........

She was a great old broad who never planned on ending up as Queen Mother, and who never forgave her brother-in-law for forcing her husband, who had a "weak constitution," into the role of King, a job he never wanted.

Tough stuff, those women ....................

[Captain Hilts]

65. Liz's dad is my favorite English king.

Everybody has to have one, kind of like how you have to have a favorite NASCAR driver, even if you don't watch it.

His thwarting - at Ike's behest - of Churchill's plan to hit the beach at Normandy was brilliant.

I LOVE reading about George and Elizabeth's visit to Canada and the US in June '39. NO ONE warned George and Liz,Sr that FDR couldn't walk. NO ONE. LizSr expressed her surprise to Eleanor.

The Secret Diary of Harold Ickes is really funny about the visit and how "the royal couple looked like pygmies next to the towering Roosevelts." Evidently, Liz, Jr and Margaret were horrified by how physically big Eleanor was when she visited the Buck House. They'd never seen a woman that big.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

66. Live & learn - and thank you very much!

I'm not any kind of historian, but you piqued my interest in that book - and, believe it or not - I just scored a hardcover copy, dustjacket included, in excellent condition, from a rare book vendor via alibris.com for

are you ready?

$1.99

+ $3.99 shipping

- $1.00 discount (coupon code)

for a total of $4.98.

And I cannot WAIT to read it.

Thank you, Captain ..........................

[Captain Hilts]

70. Send me a PM if you would like me to photocopy some funny stuff...

Harold Ickes is petulant, pouting, etc.

[Baby Snooks]

84. She also didn't approve of Diana...

And rumor was she refused to allow Diana to be buried at Frogmore and came to hate her as much as she hated Wallis Simpson. Possibly more since she allowed Wallis Simpson to be buried at Frogmore.

She felt Diana had become common and therefore wouldn't be able to stand up to the pressure of not only a return to aristocracy but the pressure of being a royal. In the end, she was proven right.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

117. She was right,

yes, she was.

Seems hard to remember now, the worldwide infatuation with Diana. Poor thing ended up in a whirlwind of her own making - sort of - and decided she didn't need bodyguards.

What a tragic, sad life she had................

[BuddhaGirl]

135. yes, and with no support from the royal family

according to most accounts.

Watch "the Queen" - very damning of all of them, including the Queen Mother, who had been a commoner herself like Diana. There's a lot of truth there, I'm sure. Their treatment of her was disgusting.

[No Elephants]

122. Most of the pressure on Diana came from the Queen Mum, though. And what in hell

is wrong with being common? We have a whole country full of ccommoners.

Prince Charles, longing to be Camilla's tampon, was not "common"?

[Captain Hilts]

127. Chuck wanted to marry Cami back in the early '70s. nt

[BuddhaGirl]

134. there were two sides in the Charles-Diana marriage

Charles was indifferent toward her...remember the "whatever love is?" statement at their interview at their engagement? It was not a good match at all, and the Royal Family, including the Queen Mother, dropped the ball when it came to being supportive of the newcomer Diana into their weird little fold.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

138. She was to be a brood mare,

and she was obligated to produce two boys and then be happy with her wealth and status while her "husband" whored around on her with his longtime mistress.

After all, that's how it was always done, my dear. :sarcasm:

I always thought Good For Diana when she took on that cow, Camilla, and today, when I see them, Chuck and Miss Moo, I look someplace else. Vile, selfish people who stampeded an innocent young girl so that they could have what they wanted.................

[WolverineDG]

75. whispers: actually they were moved to Windsor

but Mum & Dad stayed in London & spent nights flipping off the Luftwaffe from Buck House. ;)

dg

[pnwmom]

48. This is a slap in the face to all of Britain. n/t

[Nihil]

142. PS:

Not sure whether you are really as ignorant as you appear or
whether you are just a troll posting flame-bait but, either way,
you appear to have had your arse handed back to you now so learn
from the experience!
:hi:

[WolverineDG]

2. Brown, Harper, Obama, Sarkozy, QEII

which of these 5 is an actual WWII vet?

dg

[LostinVA]

6. QEII -- the lone woman, too!

[LostinVA]

3. The Queen is a WWII vet, as is her husband, and Britain had a large part in DDay

The staging was in Britain, British troops stormed Normandy, as did Commonwealth soldiers. Almost every member of the Royal Family served, and the King and his family refused to flee the country.

Like her or not, Her Majesty should be there.

[elleng]

8. She sure should be there.

Darn French!

[Captain Hilts]

12. Damn straight!

[emilyg]

33. France made a big mistake.

[Darth_Kitten]

4. Sarkozy just wants his big photo op with Obama........

Great Britain, Canada, Australia, etc......you know those pesky countries who actually never received an invite to sacrifice precious lives and fight the Nazis are just an after-thought at this event.

[marmar]

5. I'm pretty sure Canadian officials will be there.

n/t

[Darth_Kitten]

7. Gee, maybe Sarkozy could stand with leaders other than Obama as well?

But no, there's no political leverage in not being some political poodle.

[Captain Hilts]

13. Michelle should get off in London and watch the proceedings on the telly with Liz and Phil.

[CHIMO]

26. Right On

I was wondering how Michelle could be worked into this. I looked for her ternary but wasn't able to find it.

If she were to represent her government there it would be some bit hard for the people to shake hands.

[Captain Hilts]

28. She can put her feet up and watch the proceedings at the Buck House with the Windsors. nt

[midnight]

78. I love this photo.

[Captain Hilts]

96. Ain't it grand?

I guess she's gotten used to big first ladies. Liz and Margaret were stunned by Eleanor Roosevelt's size back in '42. Never seen a six footer before. And they're little things, Liz and Marge.

[dflprincess]

76. Perhaps he's jealous of how much the Queen seems to like the Obamas (eom)

[Captain Hilts]

103. Entirely possible. nt

[Darth_Kitten]

131. yeah, that's right, they're just JEALOUS.

:sarcasm:

[Historic NY]

10. I think POTUS Obama should make then his personal guests..

it would show the world we don't forget our allied veterans.

[Captain Hilts]

15. Exactly. nt

[rpannier]

35. Would be a nice gesture

But a spokesman for the Queen said she would not attend unless invited by Sarkozy as it would violate protocol

[Captain Hilts]

38. No one ever accused Liz of not having good 'party manners'. nt

[Captain Hilts]

11. Fuck Sarkozy. Liz and Phil are veterans. Phil saw a lot of combat. nt

[24601]

17. Without the US & Britian, France would be speaking German n/t

[Darth_Kitten]

24. Excuse me?

Seriously, excuse me?

[OmahaGTP]

43. Pretty scary -

to think what would have become of France without US and Great Britain. About half of France was under Nazi occupation at one point, and unless you have some other Allied powers of that caliber in mind, that would not have ended well for the French. No one can say for certain, but I respectfully disagree, I don't think what 24601 said merited that response.

[Darth_Kitten]

105. Say that to Canada, Australia, Russia, etc......

who were fighting Nazis LONG before the States came in.

Yes, it DOES matter. :eyes:

[crikkett]

110. in school they taught me that

y'all were losing before the US got involved.

[Captain Hilts]

128. That's what Churchill thought. nt

[Darth_Kitten]

132. Really? LOL

Hmmm, Churchill didn't think much of Britain, eh? :eyes:

Love revisionism. Churchill wasn't quite the hero people made him out to be.

[Captain Hilts]

133. Christmas came three weeks early for Churchill in '41. He was delighted and

relieved.

I've been reading tons of Churchill stuff the past year.

[Zynx]

136. Churchill did not think that Great Britain could win the war alone.

The fact Hitler attacked Russia was a very lucky break for Churchill. There's not a chance that Great Britain, with its resources, could have beaten Germany.

[Captain Hilts]

139. Face it, he was willing to fight down to the last Canadian....and he was running out of them.

Capt. Hilts, who spends a LOT of time in Canada and whose great uncle was Director of Materiele for the RCN during WWII and got an OBE for his service.

[Darth_Kitten]

130. Oh, right.

Pity. Truly, a pity what you were taught.

But then again, John Wayne WAS at the Battle of Britain, didn't y'all know?

[marmar]

29. Without France, the United States would still be a colony.

n/t

[Captain Hilts]

31. Naaww. But it would certainly have taken longer. Absolutely true. nt

[24601]

72. Our 4th of July invitations to the French Kings & Queens seem

to be routed to their dead letter office.

[tocqueville]

93. you don't really celebrate the 4th, it's no fun

besides eating hamburgers, drinking beer and watching fireworks : Americans have to take an extra day of vacation, which is understandable regarding to their scarcity.

[No Elephants]

120. Who doesn't celebrate the 4th of July? smile when you say that, pardner!

[spoony]

86. Oh, like Canada? That awful land?

Where leaders don't think they can invade countries on a whim and people have healthcare? Oh, the horrors. Thank God Americans were saved from such an uncivilised fate.

[tocqueville]

37. without France, the US would still be speaking English

don't get in that little game with me...

btw it's "Britain" not "Britian", you see

[Selatius]

46. Actually, without US support, Britain probably would've fallen as well as France.

The Lend Lease Act helped keep Britain afloat until the US was dragged into the war. The point, however, is that this is not a Britain/US vs. France thing. This is between the French government and the English royal family. The US has no dog in this fight.

[jwirr]

56. Exactly what is it they are fighting about?

[Captain Hilts]

19. Can someone photoshop King George's fingers? nt

[tocqueville]

34. the fascistoid Daily Mail started the whole story

as a good occasion for French-bashing

Facts are the following (checked in an interview with the Times correspondent in Paris):

1) The Queen normally attends the event every 10 years, last time was 2004 (60th anniversary).
2) the Queen didn't expect being invited and didn't plan to come according to above
3) it's protocol that the sitting US President attends at least once during his mandate, combining with an official visit to France.
4) Gordon Brown was invited but obviously screwed up in conveying a message to the Queen regarding the vets who had demanded a "special" visit. The relation between Brown and the Queen isn't good.

the only criticism that can be made towards France, is that it's probably the last time that the last British vets can attend an event where both the Queen and the US President can be present at the same time, which the French should have anticipated.

In no way the Queen has been "snubbed", it's a pure Daily Mail invention.

The Daily Mail is a rag with an active fascist background, check the wikipedia entry.

[Captain Hilts]

36. Quotations from Sarkozy on the event don't generate sympathy for him.

Liz and Phil are old and represent their generation.

You make the error of commission rather than that of omission in this case. No telling if Phil will be around five years from now, though I wouldn't bet against Liz considering her mother.

[tocqueville]

44. facts are facts

the French should have anticipated that the special pressure of the vets for this event could demand a departure from ordinary protocol, but basically it's a non-story. The Daily Mail started a similar attempt at the celebration of Victory Day this year, but it was so ridiculous that nobody noticed.

What "quotations" from Sarkozy are you referring to ? In what way are they related to a snub of the Queen ?

[Captain Hilts]

50. A ten year rule for folks over 80 years old is stupid. They should have been invited. nt

[tocqueville]

58. they should have been invited, yes

but in reality :

"In reality, we are told that there is no anger and no perceived snub. The Royal family had not expected to be invited and had not put out feelers, a senior British official told me. The Queen attended ceremonies in Normandy for the 50th and 60th anniversaries, but the 65th was not planned as an international event."

http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2009/05/sarkozy-upsets-british-with-obama-dday-visit.html

the rest is spin

[CHIMO]

40. Thanks For The Info

Hope that the queen can set the record straight. The source used the Associated Press as an input.

[Baby Snooks]

85. The Daily Mail and Gordon Brown...

He seems to have enjoyed the perceived insult to Queen Elizabeth. He probably prodded the Daily Mail into creating the situation which according to the statements by Buckingham Palace wasn't a situation until the Daily Mail created one. She reportedly is "not amused" and so she may finally exercise her constitutional right and dismiss Parliament and hope Brown is not elected again.

[tocqueville]

109. technically she could do it

but it's totally unlikely. Last time it was done was 1834.

thank you for your insight, even if I don't really believe that Brown conspired with the Daily Mail. I think that Brown has so much to do with all the shit going on in the UK right now (crisis, cheating MPs etc...) that D-Day wasn't very high on his agenda.

[No Elephants]

121. So what if she only goes once every 10 years? What's the problem with inviting her and leaving it

to her as to whether she declines nine years out of ten or not?

[Haole Girl]

55. I believe that is what's called a Royal Snub!

:rofl:

[No Elephants]

123. It was a Common Snub of Royals.

[MasonJar]

63. That is a poor decision by Sarkozy. The British were brave and brilliant

in the fight against the Nazis. They were deeply involved in securing France's freedom. The royal family was deeply involved in the effort, Elizabeth as an ambulance driver and etcs. and the king and queen stayed in London with their people rather than escape to the countryside, which was safer. I really dislike the bashing here by some of the British royalty just because they are royalty with no consideration for all the good they do. Prince Charles is one of the world's great environmentalists. He is active in environmental work in an ongoing and creative manner, including on his farmland. As an environmentalist, I admire greatly his efforts on this front. We need all the environmentalists we can get. If you want to belittle families, there are several good old USA dynasties which could use a little scrubbing. Start with the Bushes!

[proteus_lives]

68. What a slap to the face!

The blowback for Sarkozy on this will be pretty bad.

QEII is vet and deserved an invitation.

[Captain Hilts]

69. ...and after this photograph was taken, Liz and Margaret went down into the crowd and partied like

it was 1945!

[Captain Hilts]

71. "As It Happens" say the folks in Bayeaux are bummed Liz won't be there. nt

[applegrove]

77. Not only did the Queen participate in the war as a volunteer, but she is the head

of state for two out of the three countries that landed on the beeches that day.

[opihimoimoi]

79. Who wuz in charge of the Guest List????oopps, Sarkozy???

[24601]

80. Not only Queen of England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland,

Canada, Australia and New Zealand (and probably a handful of others), but Commander in Chief of Britain's military.

As all that, and as a WWII vet, she should be there. France screwed the poodle on this one. Merd!

[Captain Hilts]

99. Sarkozy and Brown are insensitive idiots. nt

[Christa]

88. Rude of France

very, very rude and I cannot see any reason why Nicolas Sarkozy did this.

[tocqueville]

90. check facts before you make statements NT

[Christa]

104. France failed to invite the queen

what inside info do you have?

[tocqueville]

108. what stands in serious British papers, that you don't even bother to read

1) it's not Sarkozy who "phones the Queen". BTW the Queen doesn't govern, so bypassing the UK government should have been a major blunder
2) it's the French Foreign Office that contacts the Foreign Offices of other countries
3) they ask them to whom the invitations should be sent (Obama was invited separately as a scheduled official visit)
4) they passed it to Brown who screwed up - and of this the British media are unanimous (he wasn't even planning to come either)
5) the Queen didn't plan to come despite pressure from the vets since January this year and never signaled that an invitation should be sent which is the normal procedure when normal protocol isn't to be followed.
6) the Queen normally comes ONLY every ten years at major anniversaries (50th, 60th etc..). This WASN'T a major anniversary.
7) the Queen was never snubbed or infuriated, serious UK papers report on that (Times, Guardian etc..)
8) it's a complete "outrage" non-story invented by a French-hating fascistoid tabloid. So convenient.

the only criticism that can be done to the French authorities is that they should have anticipated this situation and defused it by inviting the Queen.

BTW if you want real snubs, if I am not mistaken Michelle Obama snubbed Nethanyahu's wife by not postponing a ballet event. No outcry here. Shouldn't be either.

If somebody has to apologize, it's Brown.

another episode of "We screwed up, blame the French".

and of course you buy it, make statements, are outraged without any knowledge of background, circumstances and facts.

[Posteritatis]

124. They also said the Normandy invasion was a Franco-American affair

Let's ignore anyone involved in Juno, Sword and Gold Beaches, 'cause They Don't Count. Ugh.

[tocqueville]

89. The Guardian has a different version...

The failure to invite the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to the ceremonies marking the 65th anniversary of D-Day seems more careless oversight rather than calculated insult – a cock up rather than conspiracy. Rather belatedly this week President Sarkozy, the host, has said the Queen can come if she wants to, a less than gracious offer.

Wisely, the monarch is keeping a dignified distance and silence, avoiding a potential diplomatic elephant trap. It is a pity in some ways, as this will be the last great ceremony marking the Normandy landings when a sizeable number of those who went ashore on 6 June 1944 will be on parade.

It seems that the main culprit is not Sarkozy, whose forebears had a dreadful experience in the second world war in the ghetto of Thessaloniki and in Hungary. According to the Daily Mail, not entirely reliable on matters of royal pique and foreign relations, the French president told the British government to nominate who they wanted as representing Britain and the Commonwealth in Normandy

first Gordon Brown said has wasn't going, now he has said he is. First he said there should be a memorial service for the Normandy campaign at Westminster Abbey next month, and now he has called it off For a man who purports to have such a deep interest in history, at times his understanding of it, and its legacy in the collective memory, seems remarkably shallow. His dithering and grudging decision to attend the ceremonies means that many of those nations who went ashore under British and Canadian command in 1944, including Poles, Jews and refugee units from across occupied Europe, will be under-represented.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/29/dday-queen-war

[Captain Hilts]

91. Yes, Brown also comes across as a dolt in this. nt

[GoddessOfGuinness]

97. Ouch. That's quite a slap in the face!

I hope France apologizes for their blunder. :(

[tocqueville]

100. check facts before making statements nt

[GoddessOfGuinness]

101. The fact is that whether or not they expected an invitation

none was given to those representing Britain or other important WWII Allies. To have a D-Day celebration focusing solely on France's relationship with the US is a serious social blunder.

The fact that no outward offence was taken by Queen Elizabeth is a testament to her good character.

Sarkozy should apologize.

[tocqueville]

106. you don't even know how it works and what happened

1) it's not Sarkozy who "phones the Queen". BTW the Queen doesn't govern, so bypassing the UK government should have been a major blunder
2) it's the French Foreign Office that contacts the Foreign Offices of other countries
3) they ask them to whom the invitations should be sent (Obama was invited separately as a scheduled official visit)
4) they passed it to Brown who screwed up - and of this the British media are unanimous (he wasn't even planning to come either)
5) the Queen didn't plan to come despite pressure from the vets since January this year and never signaled that an invitation should be sent which is the normal procedure when normal protocol isn't to be followed.
6) the Queen normally comes ONLY every ten years at major anniversaries (50th, 60th etc..). This WASN'T a major anniversary.
7) the Queen was never snubbed or infuriated, serious UK papers report on that (Times, Guardian etc..)
8) it's a complete "outrage" non-story invented by a French-hating fascistoid tabloid. So convenient.

the only criticism that can be done to the French authorities is that they should have anticipated this situation and defused it by inviting the Queen.

BTW if you want real snubs, if I am not mistaken Michelle Obama snubbed Nethanyahu's wife by not postponing a ballet event. No outcry here. Shouldn't be either.

If somebody has to apologize, it's Brown.

another episode of "We screwed up, blame the French".

and of course you buy it, make statements, are outraged without any knowledge of background, circumstances and facts.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

111. A D-Day celebration, major or not, is not an appropriate forum

to focus on France's relations with any single country. So much was given by so many. Whoever made that decision blundered.

It's feasible that France chose not to issue an invitation to spare the Queen the embarrassment and possible scandal of turning it down.

I believe you are mistaken about the facts surrounding Michelle Obama, Sara Netanyahu, and the ABT Gala Ball. It was not Michelle Obama's place to postpone the event at which she was to be the guest of honor. It's not an event that can be postponed. She was also in New York to inaugurate the opening of a new wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Far from a snub to Ms. Netanyahu, it was a previous engagement.

And you certainly are mistaken if you've concluded that I'm outraged by the D-Day doings. But of course you were merely making that statement without any knowledge of my background, circumstances, and facts. No biggie. ;-)

[Flagg]

112. I imagine that for Republican France the British Prime Minister

is the rightful representative for Britain. And he has been invited.

[Captain Hilts]

140. So, in the case of Britain, he's not going to invite the Head of State whereas he is of the US? nt

[tocqueville]

98. outrage is at maximum in progressive UK

Steve Bell, The Guardian

[JI7]

102. fuck Sarkozy , the Queen should be invited

[tocqueville]

107. once again

1) it's not Sarkozy who "phones the Queen". BTW the Queen doesn't govern, so bypassing the UK government should have been a major blunder
2) it's the French Foreign Office that contacts the Foreign Offices of other countries
3) they ask them to whom the invitations should be sent (Obama was invited separately as a scheduled official visit)
4) they passed it to Brown who screwed up - and of this the British media are unanimous (he wasn't even planning to come either)
5) the Queen didn't plan to come despite pressure from the vets since January this year and never signaled that an invitation should be sent which is the normal procedure when normal protocol isn't to be followed.
6) the Queen normally comes ONLY every ten years at major anniversaries (50th, 60th etc..). This WASN'T a major anniversary.
7) the Queen was never snubbed or infuriated, serious UK papers report on that (Times, Guardian etc..)
8) it's a complete "outrage" non-story invented by a French-hating fascistoid tabloid. So convenient.

the only criticism that can be done to the French authorities is that they should have anticipated this situation and defused it by inviting the Queen.

BTW if you want real snubs, if I am not mistaken Michelle Obama snubbed Nethanyahu's wife by not postponing a ballet event. No outcry here. Shouldn't be either.

If somebody has to apologize, it's Brown.

another episode of "We screwed up, blame the French".

and of course you buy it, make statements, are outraged without any knowledge of background, circumstances and facts.

[Nihil]

141. Just a quick "thank you" for your patience ...

I've read the entire thread and it is fascinating to see how many times
you've had to re-post this easy to read, straightforward set of facts
because so many others have simply reacted to a headline (or, better still,
to the trumped-up "outrage" from the media).

Thanks for your tenacity!
:toast:

[panzerfaust]

113. ? WTF

I wonder if Chancellor Merkel will be there?

[ProudDad]

115. Actually

that was a picture of them all celebrating my first birthday...

:evilgrin: :bounce: :hi: :applause: :woohoo:

They also celebrated my birthday in Times Square in New York City;

[No Elephants]

118. Is it my imagination or does the Queen Mum in this photo look not much different than she did at 90?

[Captain Hilts]

129. You are correct. nt