Posted on 04/02/2009 3:36:22 PM PDT by mojito
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 you know, The President and Mrs. Bush welcomed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for a State Visit yesterday at the White House....
Tyrone, from Florida writes:
Hon. Mr. Martinez, Thank your for taking our questions. Her Majesty, Elizabeth II...is such a grand woman. I am glad that she was able to make the trip to the "colonies." I would like to know what official gift was presented to her by the President and what gift she present to the President and the American people on behalf of her many subjects?
Raymond P. Martinez:
Tyrone, the principals conducted a leader to leader gift exchange in the Red Room of the White House immediately after the arrival ceremony. President and Mrs. Bush gave Her Majesty a bronze statuette “High Desert Princess” with a personal inscription on the bottom of the base. It is a replica of the original life size statue that is located in front of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth, Texas.
President and Mrs. Bush gave The Prince Philip an exclusive sterling silver eagle box by Tiffany & Co. with personal inscription on the inside lid.
President and Mrs. Bush gave Their Majesties a leather presentation box filled with a collection of documents from the National Archives. One of the items was a copy of an original letter from President Roosevelt to her father, King George, written in 1938. There were also photos from previous royal visits and a DVD of the footage from the Queen’s visit to the United States when she was Princess Elizabeth in 1951.
Their Majesties gave President Bush a sterling silver oversized plate by William & Son with gold seals including: the Presidential seal, the Royal seal and a center seal with the star of Texas surrounded by roses. There was a personal inscription on the back of the plate. They gave Mrs. Bush a gold and crystal clock with the Royal seal by William & Son.
The Office of the Chief of Protocol assists the President and First Lady in the selection and presentation of gifts to foreign leaders.
Heheheh - not to mention what the Queen and Prince Phillip gave to th Obambas: a photo of themselves :-)
Bush spent waaaaay too much, actually Congress did, but at LEAST they had great class.....this is EMBARRASSING.
Great find! Thanks for digging it up.
Plus a Letter SIGNED by her father........and something American like the statue was very appropriate....I can’t get past the IPOD crap present.
The Office of the Chief of Protocol assists the President and First Lady in the selection and presentation of gifts to foreign leaders.
It is clear they are not listening.
LLS
My my, how very interesting. MSM lead us to believe that the photo of the Queen and Prince Philip given to Mr. & Mrs. Zero was standard fare given to all dignitaries. Either the policy changed after GWB left office or they're covering for Bambi.
Nor can most of us except for Matt Lauer who thought the idea was quite novel and modern. Barf..
Class vs. trash.
Uhh... that would “Class vs. Trash”
:D
Hoss
They are probably a bunch of 20-somethings who still live at home and play Halo during their lunch hours.
Send your favorite liberal friend a Pez dispenser for his birthday and sign the card as coming from Obama.
Matt Lauer has the manners of an ox.....wouldn’t know class if it hit him in the snoz.
Suprised they didn’t give the Queen a 40 and a bucket of wings !
He must have quit when the Obambis came in, because their "gifts to foreign leaders" are just trashy.
I wonder if the Queen didn’t have something spectacular to give the Obama’s as well. But, upon receiving the IPOD it was “Oh......thank you! And we have a little something, ah....for you, ah.....[looking around and picking up the nearest item on the closest table] ... a photograph of us to remember your visit by.”
Yup, and don't think people don't notice.
I noticed the same thing...somebody’s lying.
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