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.
I don’t think IPODs come in leather presentation boxes nor monogrammed silver Tiffany style boxes either, it was probably still in the unopenable surroundable plastic with the hook thingey UNLESS it was opened by the WH and then they re-wrapped in an old cardboard box from Macy’s.
****************
Here's hint.
It starts with a "T".
if you find out, let me know! I want to know who is running what here..i mean this is a poor pattern...hopefully that can recover from what they have started. *hahaha*
Thoughtless, tacky, selfish, uncouth, and whatever is worse than that.
******************
Rude, narcissistic and arrogant.
The statue is beautiful and note that it came with a personal inscription on the bottom. You don’t pick THAT up at the WH gift shop.
It’s also appropriate that the original statue is in Texas.
I just found it in reply 27. So I was partially correct, there is no one who cares.
ha, I missed that..thanks! So that explains the horrific problems. no one in charge of protocol..he’s like a fish out of water.
At least the photo they gave him is in the right format to be viewed in North America. ;-)
My question is, how long until Zero sends it back?
Wowwwww, so the yokel hillbillies from Texas has more class than the elite “Gonna make the world love us again” Obamas?
There is part of me that wants to know if the world (including the Queen) noticed the difference or are they so infatuated that they don’t care how tacky they are?
I mean that whole breaking protocol thing with Michelle Obama has gone from “breaking protocol” to “the Queen was so enamored with her they hugged each other”.
GAG
Don’t know how reliable this is, but I kept wondering why show tunes, then I came across an article that said they had also presented the Queen with a rare book of “tunes” signed by Richard Rodgers, so I’m assuming the tunes on the iPod were those of Richard Rodgers. Here’s the link where I got the info:
Class vs. Trash. It is that simple.
That whole gift was well thought out, classy, personal beyond measure (being a letter from the President to her late father) and priceless.
Gordon Brown’s gift to Obama was just as well thought out and symbolic being the first black President of America and having the pen holder made from a ship that helped to abolish slavery.
Please God tell me the world sees what classless losers they are! I mean it just doesn’t make sense to be SOOOO tacky to such an extreme and still be adored just doesn’t seem right.
You wouldn’t use the phrase ‘rich black trash’ though, would you?
The Queen is doing well for her age, but she has spent her whole life living protocol.
I suspect that behind closed doors, she is livid.
Personalized is the point.
Good catch StarFan.
You are correct, they are quick to point out that the photograph of the Queen is typical and is the only thing anyone ever should expect from the Queen of England accepting a Head of State. Which even reading it sounded hokey to me. Really? The Queen of England gives out something a rockstar would give after a gig in a strip club. Come on!
And IIRC, that ship was the sister to the ship that provided the wood for the Kennedy desk that sits in the oval office. So a matched set so to speak. Very well thought out gift. I'm sure the significance was lost on Zer0.
Class vs Trash.
His name is Vince - he does Sham-Wow commercials in his off time.
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.