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)
That there would be called work...WORK! (said in my best Maynard G. Krebbs voice...A Dobie Gillis reference for you young 'uns. Google it :D)
No, most real Americans understand that there are proper protocols. Unfortunately O does not and could careless, as shown by his actions repeatedly.
///Allahpundit at Hot Air has some (rare) praise for the President:///
Rare? Must be the *other* Allahpundit...
I get AP’s point about how protocol to sovereign royalty is a low priority thing to Americans, and all. Still, if you’re trying to do George Washington proud, then either don’t do the toast, or do it right. Being inept is no homage to the Founding Fathers.
But still, if we are paying a salary to a protocol advisor, the least they could do is inform our top guy what to do when making a toast to the Queen.
Seems pretty simple to me, "When making a toast to the Queen, don't talk during the playing of "God Save the Queen"...no matter when it's played".
Shirley, (sic) someone told him of this little gem during a briefing at some time.
Leslie Nielsen could not have improved on this buffonery
I’m amazed at how stupid he is. He had to keep looking down at the table to read his note cards.
And spoil all my fun? I've been asking the Lord to humiliate him in the eyes of the world for his stand against Israel. Let the stupidity continue.
What was more disappointing, is his ignorance of the difference between the UK and England.
If you go to a country it’s best not to alienate 15% of the non-English people of the UK for no reason.
On election day in 2008, all of us should have put "Irish Need Not Apply" sticky-notes over his name at the polls.
OMG LOL
Heh, heh. Fortunately, we’ll have another chance to do so in 2012.
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