Posted on 05/07/2007 8:31:47 AM PDT by VxH
WASHINGTON — President Bush, a leader known for his informality, welcomed Queen Elizabeth II to the White House Monday with an uncharacteristic display of high pomp.
"We did sort of have to convince him a little bit" to opt for the white-tie dinner, first Lady Laura Bush said Monday of her and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's efforts to talk Bush into hosting the most formal dinner the White House can offer.
The British monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, are being greeted later Monday morning with a 21-gun salute and a parade by the U.S. Army's Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps attended by 7,000 guests on the White House's South Lawn.
An exclusive few will return in white tie and tails for the state dinner among 13 damask-clothed tables set with gold-trimmed ivory china and gilded silver candelabras.
"We're very excited to host Her Majesty," Mrs. Bush said Monday morning on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"We had the opportunity to be here the last time she was here for a state dinner (hosted by the first President Bush in 1991) ... and we're so thrilled to have the chance to host her and to show her the strong affection the American people have for the British," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Did you see her rummaging around in her purse as President Bush made his opening remarks? At first, I though she was going to pull of a rumpled Kleenex like every 80+ year old grandmother has, or maybe a stick of Juicy Fruit. But no, she emerged with her reading glasses and folded up speech.
Royalty was eliminated several hundred years ago. Why is anyone using the word “queen” today? There is no monarchy, no royalty, no king, no queen. It’s an outmoded concept.
Where's Bono?
Probably. I’m only 25 so I can kiss social security out the window!
LOL! Thank God the press is covering this important tidbit so I would have to wonder no more. I don't know why, but I love all this silly stuff about the queen.
“I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head when GW misspoke and said She helped us celebrate our bicentennial in “1776”.
I cringed when he said that. HuffPo is having a field day with it, and so will the msm. The left was hoping for a gaffe, and they got one. I can just imagine the outrage the left-wing media in the UK will show.
She was looking for her nations manhood. Last seen being mocked by ragheads in rubber rafts.
What a waste of taxpayers money, feeding this German inbred.
Go home.
I guess that means that she may attend a Dodgers or Angels home game during her American visit??
Cos its only three years after some dumb yanks chucked a whole shipload of perfectly good tea products into the bloody bay! You were a real ‘wild bunch’ back then hey? “Right, to start this reevolooshun I’m going to get rid of all the tea in them these colonies!!!” Not have a riot or a full on coup detate, NEVER!!!
I realise that your independence means alot to you, as it should, but when you come from a country with thousands (thats, like, y’know, with three 0’s I reckon...) of years of history, a little date in someone elses calender means spit. Your is one country among many that had to fight for independence from Great Britain, so I’m sure our Queen just tunes the locals out when travelling to a former dominion.
“Royalty was eliminated several hundred years ago”
Really?!!! Have I had my eyes shut since the Middle Ages?
What about the Sauds in Arabia?
The Spanish royal family?
The Danish royal family?
The Swedish royal family?
Our own, the British royals?
The Japanese royal family?
The Jordanian royals?
etc etc etc etc
Maybe we should let them know that they were eliminated several hundred years back, because it thats the case then they should be dead, right?
i dont suppose the namesake of that muppet frontman of a weak band could be a little less obtuse, and more, well, better mannered?
I wonder if the Queen gets a charge from inspecting all of those troops?
There’s a group photo of Her Majesty with one of the Scottish regiments where the soldier sitting next to her is a tad...overexposed. Still looking for it on the Web...
I can’t believe that’s for real. Frankly, it’s too shocking to believe someone would do that. The Queen seems totally unaware. And what about the photographer? I guess he didn’t care how his picture came out.
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.