White House: Queen should be at D-Day events

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/white-house-queen-should-be-at-d-day-events-2009-05-29.html

White House: Queen should be at D-Day events
By Sam Youngman and Ian Swanson
Posted: 05/29/09 03:42 PM


The White House on Friday jumped into a spat between France and Great Britain by saying Queen Elizabeth should take part in commemorations of the 65th anniversary of D-Day next week.

The queen has not been invited by the French to take part, and the Royal Palace has been voicing its displeasure. The story has also been played up in the British media.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs initially said he wanted to stay out of the row during his briefing on Friday, before making it clear President Obama, who is to attend the commemorations, would be pleased if the queen was present.

"I think there's no doubt her contribution and her presence would be important," Gibbs said. He also assured reporters the U.S. is "not in charge of the guest list."

The queen volunteered for the World War II effort, and drove military trucks during the war.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is believed to see next week's events in Normandy as an opportunity to share the global spotlight with Obama, who is enormously popular in most of Europe. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is now the highest-ranking British official set to attend the June 6 ceremonies.

British papers reported Queen Elizabeth was unhappy she was not invited to the commemorations.

"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, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Company.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Elizabeth = Drama Queen.

:rofl:

If she wanted to go and not play the displeasure game, she would be going.

How Royal of her.

[babylonsister]

2. She wouldn't go if she wasn't invited, and she wasn't. Very bad

form on Sarkosky's part imo. And I don't know if she's yet been invited.

[CreekDog]

6. Next thing you'll be saying Sarkozy's an ass

:rofl: :think:

[babylonsister]

9. Well he is, or at least very uncool. What about those famous

French manners?

[NYC_SKP]

7. I find it hard to believe that there weren't communications on this matter all along.

And maybe there were.

But if she was just sitting on the throne waiting for one of his people to call one of her people, then something is seriously wrong.

She could have sent out feelers, had someone contact one of his peeps, on the DL, a little nudge.

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

10. Ha! Maybe she was walking her pups,

picking out purses, :shrug:

[NYC_SKP]

14. Or having them made into purses!

It must be Friday...forgive me. :P

Google "puppy purse" and you get marketing idea "fail":

Puppy Purse!



Edited to add another:



:P

[babylonsister]

15. You're bad.

:spank:

:D

[LisaM]

3. That makes no sense!

Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip served in the war. Why would they be ignored?

Obama better fix this!

[babylonsister]

4. He's not hosting this, afaik. He's made his opinion known. What

do you suggest he do?

[Cha]

16. "Obama better fix this"!

Wow, just wow.

[Adelante]

18. Lalalala

:crazy:

[Politicalboi]

21. Hold his breath and stomp his feet

God damn it. LOL! And France once again will surrender.

[ClarkUSA]

5. Um, it's up to Sarkozy, not Pres. Obama, to "better fix this" as the ceremonies are on French soil.

[CreekDog]

11. don't confuse them with facts, it just makes them crabby

:hi:

[ClarkUSA]

13. lol

How true. Thanks for the chuckle. :hi:

[CTyankee]

8. This is a terrible and stupid snub of the British people.

You cannot just say it is a snub of Queen Elizabeth. It disses the people of Britain that suffered far more than we did in attacks on their home land.

I think it is appalling and I am no big fan of British royalty (in fact, I think they are inane).

I just can't understand why this whole thing got into the situation it has become. D-Day heavily involved Britain, period. Their sacrifice and effort were instrumental in the winning of the war. What more do you want?

Please...

[Forkboy]

12. It's shame he can't protest by not going.

But that could easily be taken as an insult to many people, understandably. Not going, or even sending someone else to a memorial of this magnitude really isn't much of an option.

Glad they entered the fray. She deserves to go.

[Historic NY]

17. Lets fix this President Obama, make her your personal guest.

I'm sorry they should have never slighted her. She was a witness to the event. Onward Britannia.

[MiniMe]

19. It would be a nice invite, but she won't go now

imho Sarkozy wanted the limelight with just him and Obama, and I think it is too late to fix it. If Sarkozy invites her now, it will look like they had to invite her and it was an afterthought. I'm no big fan of Royalty, but she should have been invited. Especially since she was a participant in WWII

[Historic NY]

20. Yes she will if Michelle intervenes as First Lady, nothing venture is nothing gained.

[Politicalboi]

22. She could go undercover

Just leave her purse at home.