Free Republic

After the G20 wives wowed us with their style prowess yesterday, Michelle Obama and Sarah Brown appear to have stumbled in the glamour stakes with today's choice of clothing... Yesterday's dazzling J. Crew outfit may have won her praise from the hard-to-please fashion press - but the bizarre cardigan sported by Michelle Obama at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden today was rather less well-received. The First Lady kept her famous toned arms covered in the asymmetric creation by Japanese designer Junya Watanabe, which featured a garish argyle pattern and was embellished with yet more sequins. A far cry...

LONDON – Michelle Obama's meeting with Queen Elizabeth II began with a handshake and ended in a hug. The first lady arrived Wednesday with President Barack Obama. After separate meetings on the eve of the G-20 summit, the couple attended an evening reception for world leaders hosted by the queen. Mrs. Obama clearly made an impression with the 82-year-old monarch — so much that the smiling queen strayed slightly from protocol and briefly wrapped her arm around the first lady in a rare public show of affection.

Protocol seems to be dispensed with when the Obamas come to town. Michelle Obama and the Queen slipped their arms around each other towards the end of a reception at Buckingham Palace held in honor of the G20 leaders and their wives. The president and his wife appeared very relaxed in the company of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh from the start.

Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev promised Wednesday a new era in relations between the United States and Russia and made a milestone bid to agree far-reaching nuclear arms cuts. After holding their first face-to-face meeting in London ahead of the G20 summit, the leaders issued a joint statement saying the "era when our countries viewed each other as enemies is long over." Obama and Medvedev also stepped up the pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme as they cited many areas of common interest between Russia and the United States. ..." http://www.france24.com/en/20090401-obama-medvedev-pledge-new-era-relations Also here:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090401/wl_afp/usrussiadiplomacynuclear_20090401152002

The rules are set in stone, and so the eagerly watching British media sputtered when the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, briefly put her hand on the back of Queen Elizabeth II as the two chatted at a reception. Etiquette is quite stern about this ("Whatever you do, don't touch the Queen!"). In 2007 John Howard, then Prime Minister of Australia, got plenty of criticism for apparently putting his arm around the Queen to direct her through a crowd. He denied actually touching her, but photographs suggest that he came quite close. (Another former Australian Prime Minister...

Raymond P. Martinez (Chief of Protocol): Good afternoon everyone. Thank you very much for having me on “Ask the White House.” I look forward to talking with you today about the Office of the Chief of Protocol and what our role is for the President. We are responsible for many activities including the planning, hosting, and officiating of ceremonial events for visiting chiefs of state and heads of government, as well as coordinating logistics for the visits. We also manage Blair House, the President's guesthouse, and oversee all protocol matters for Presidential, Vice Presidential and Presidential delegation trips abroad. As...

LONDON – Michelle Obama's meeting with Queen Elizabeth II began with a handshake and ended in a hug. The first lady arrived Wednesday with President Barack Obama. After separate meetings on the eve of the G-20 summit, the couple attended an evening reception for world leaders hosted by the queen. Mrs. Obama clearly made an impression with the 82-year-old monarch — so much that the smiling queen strayed slightly from protocol and briefly wrapped her arm around the first lady in a rare public show of affection. It was the first time Mrs. Obama — who is nearly a foot...

April 02, 2009Obama bows down to Saudi KingClarice Feldman I am quite certain that this is not the protocol, and is most unbecoming a President of the United States.

Loyal to Liberty An article on the games of the ninth Olympiad in the Encyclopedia of the modern Olympic Games takes note of the following: "The American team was also watched closely for their etiquette as they marched passed the reviewing stand. Led by AOC head MacArthur, the Yankee squad continued the American custom of refusing to bow to or salute any foreign monarch…" Since he is no Olympian, when Barack Obama met with the King of Saudi Arabia recently he proffered what might be interpreted as a deep and unmistakeable bow. Whatever the eventual excuse given for this apparent...

The exact definition of “Dhimmi”, a term which we talk about all the time on this blog, is: Dhimmi was the name applied by the Arab-Muslim conquerors to indigenous non-Muslim populations who surrendered by a treaty (dhimma) to Muslim domination The President of the United States Barack Obama (C back to camera) greets King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (C) before the official G20 leaders photograph with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on April 1, 2009 in London, England. Obama is on his first trip to the UK as President and will be attending G20 world leaders’ summit dedicated to...

President and First Lady Obama gave Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II a video iPod with inscription, songs uploaded and accessories, plus a rare musical songbook signed by Richard Rodgers. Uploaded onto the iPod: * Photos from the Queen's 2007 White House State Visit * Photos from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown, Va., Visit * Photos from the Queen's 2007 Richmond, Va., Visit * Video from the Queen's 1957 Jamestown Visit * Video from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown Visit * Video from the Queen's 2007 Richmond Visit * Photos from President Obama's Inauguration * Audio of then-state senator Obama's speech at...

In addition to an IPOD (see source for list of items on it, then hang your head in shame for America), there was this: Britain's Press Association reports that the Royal couple gave the Obamas "a silver-framed, signed photograph of themselves."

Oh Gordon, your smile! The Prime Minister, appearing alongside Barack Obama after breakfast today, stared at his American visitor and almost shattered the TV camera lenses with his moony grin. You could have played Jewish harp with his lower lip, it was stretched so twangy tight. Messrs Mills and Boon, when next looking for a book cover for one of their romantic novellas, when next seeking an illustration of doggy devotion, could do worse than use a photograph of the Prime Minister at the meeting. Mr Obama uttered a sentence. Mr Brown nodded. Mr Obama paused. Mr Brown froze, frowning....

So instead of an Ivy League Billy Dee Williams we got Fred Sanford handing out Ripple deluxe instead. NIce.

AMERICA'S First Lady has cosied up to the Queen as Prince Philip once again put his foot in his mouth when the Obamas visited Buckingham Palace. Barack and Michelle Obama met with the Queen her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, ahead of a reception for other G20 leaders and international organisations. Prince Philip latest gaffe came after Mr Obama said: “I had breakfast with the Prime Minister, meetings with the Chinese, the Russians, David Cameron...” Prince Philip replied: “Can you tell the difference between them?" The Independent said Philip had "displayed his uncanny knack for leaving his mark on a...

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) and US President Barack Obama address a press conference in the Lacarno Treaty Room at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office near 10 Downing Street in London. (AFP) The poor Brits were in for a big letdown today. Dear Leader bored them to tears at his press conference with Prime Minister Brown in London. The Daily Mail reported: Allegedly the most charismatic politician in the world, Mr Obama was a disappointment. It sounded as though he had a blocked nose and so his lack of energy may have been a symptom of a cold. Jet...

The majority of “undocumented Irish” young people living illegally in America come from Fermanagh and Tyrone, the Assembly had been told. But new President Barack Obama intends to tackle the problem, according to Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Reporting on his recent week-long trip to the US, Mr McGuinness said the issue came up constantly. There is an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 illegal Irish in the US, with the majority coming from Fermanagh and Tyrone. Mr McGuinness said: “The issue of the undocumented Irish came up consistently and persistently at many of the engagements in which we were involved. “There...

President Barack Obama met Queen Elizabeth II and presented her with an iPod that was pre-loaded with a video of the first lady’s 30-minute arm-toning routine, complete with the peppy Broadway show tunes that keep MO motivated to go for the burn. Perhaps her expectations lowered by the gift of state presented to PM Gordon Brown, the Queen didn’t exactly go all out either: She gave the Obamas the same signed portrait of herself and Prince Philip that everyone else gets.