Posted on 05/25/2011 6:07:49 AM PDT by markomalley
President Obama’s lack of experience with royalty was on full display today in England as he mistakenly began a toast to the Queen of England at the wrong time, resulting in “God Save the Queen” blaring over his words and no one getting to drink what was in their cups. Awkward.
“And now I propose a toast to the Queen,” President Obama began in London today, but only got as far as “To the vitality of the special relationship” before “God Save the Queen” cut him off. He kept reading the toast, however, and finally raised his glass to her. No one drank out of their glasses afterwards, however. The Queen herself looked over at him with a hint of contempt (confusion?) in her face, while the other members of the royal family stood stoically around them.
Many may see not knowing the tedious etiquette of proposing a toast to an ornamental political figure a “gaffe,” but isn’t the entire point of America not bothering to care about royal etiquette? Allahpundit at Hot Air has some (rare) praise for the President:
Protocol, apparently, requires the toastmaster to wait until after “God Save the Queen” plays and then begin the toast. But the almighty O waits for no sovereign, so he launched straight into his shpiel. To which I say, good for him. What else was the American revolution about, if not the right of the president to half-ass some formulaic niceties about the British monarch? He should have punctuated it with a weary “whatever” and downed the glass in one gulp.
Video via ABC News below: (video at link)
Her boobs looked lop-sided.
Yes, it was very uncomfortable to watch. Camilla was sitting there stone-faced. I like Camilla and felt sorry for her that she had to sit next to him. Who else could have handled it as well as she did.
I trade her for Michelle any day!
Why doesn’t it surprise me that you are willing to make excuses for O’Bozo?
Daffy
What a damned moron.
His general incompetence has me wondering about the value of a Hahvard education. No wonder his grades aren’t accessible. They’re embarassed too.
You would think with all his TSARs he could find ONE that knows protocol.
You would think with all his TSARs he could find ONE that knows protocol.
Be careful, Donn is a card-carrying Brit who is a constitutional expert and will make you look silly if you challenge him on ANYTHING British!
Fair warning...
Yeah the one in the picture on the right is really gross.
Simply the truth.
No-one in the UK cared. Now I could say everyone in the UK was mortified but that would be a lie.
One gains the impression his Ivy League credentials were bestowed by the virtue of his merely being “present”
or maybe not even that
No. Actually, he only got as far as "To Her Majesty, The Queen", before Britain's National Anthem began playing and which he walked all over by continuing his toast. The words, "To Her Majesty, The Queen", is the orchestra leader's cue to begin "God Save the Queen."
Nice try, though, Mediaite. But there's not enough lipstick in the world.
No, seriously.
Die.
The way the Queen kept looking at him was hysterical, too. The newscasters made sure they pointed that out, as well!
Very surprised the this came from ABC.
“Die.
No, seriously.
Die.”
Why, for telling the truth?
Conservatism is a philosophy, not a cult.
Ok. I take back my death wish. However, you do know that if any of this happened to a REPUBLICAN president, the US media would be DAILY on this topic for the next TWELVE MONTHS. EVERY article would begin with, "President Palin, who famously flubbed the toast to the Queen last May, said that...."
Well, it’s comforting to know the British public can be so sang-froid about protocol mess ups concerning the Queen...
As an American tax payer who pays BIG bucks to make sure my govt can hold it’s head up with dignity on the international stage, this is gross negligence...
Anybody catch what the Queen said to him to get him clued in?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.