Queen Elizabeth Wasn’t Upset At All By Michelle Obama’s “Breaking Protocol”
Darn! Just when you think there’s a great new topic to use to score points with a negative, it’s yanked away from you! It turns out that — despite what some pundits have been proclaming — there was a bit more to First Lady Barack Obama breaking protocol with the Queen of England. Like…the Queen broke it, too:
Michelle Obama’s meeting with Queen Elizabeth II began with a handshake and ended in a hug.
The first lady arrived Wednesday with President Barack Obama. After separate meetings on the eve of the G-20 summit, the couple attended an evening reception for world leaders hosted by the queen.
Mrs. Obama clearly made an impression with the 82-year-old monarch — so much that the smiling queen strayed slightly from protocol and briefly wrapped her arm around the first lady in a rare public show of affection.
It was the first time Mrs. Obama — who is nearly a foot taller — had met the queen. The first lady also wrapped her arm around the monarch’s shoulder and back.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman who asked not to be identified because of palace policy said he could not remember the last time the queen had displayed such public affection with a first lady or dignitary.
“It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection,” he said. “We don’t issue instructions on not touching the queen.”
It’s good this statement came out now.
Just think if Bill Clinton was President and he learned it was Ok to touch the Queen.
And would President George Bush have given her a back rub?
She didn’t break protocol? Now what can we write about? Wait! Obama gave the Queen an iPod with his speeches. He offended the Queen!!! He made the U.S. look bad! He…
(Etc.)
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4 Responses to “Queen Elizabeth Wasn’t Upset At All By Michelle Obama’s “Breaking Protocol””
We can always go back to talking about Eric Cantor going to see Britney Spears.
nice to read some news that brings a smile. . .
Michelle's dress was frumpy and just did not do justice to her figure and height. Can we talk about that?
Since no Moderate Voice post should exist without contention, I must vehemently disagree with my fellow fashionista StockBoySF.
I though Michelle's dress was apt for the context. Dressing for a royal audience is complicated, as HM will invariably dress in a her usual.
Thus, the First Lady was making an effort to dress down, so to speak. Black was a safe choice. Also her more conservative accessory options too, like the pearls.
In total, this outing was in sharp contrast to the fiasco of PM Brown's trip to Washington, where the Obama team were caught flat-flooted…and gave him DVDs that don't even play on UK region players.
Note, for example, the President's smart choice to hang back and let Michelle greet the Queen first. Surprising, but totally right.
The First Lady clearly charmed the Queen. In their official photos together, the Queen has her pleased, slightly goofy smile on. She only gets that when she wins at the races, or is very pleased at an encounter.
The iPod was an excellent and informed gift choice too…as HM has gotten into tech in a big way because of her grandkids. She emails daily, and has an older model iPod of her own.
The Obama Team did their homework this time.
Fleet Street hounds are notorious bitches, and snipe at anything. But even the right-wing Daily Mail referred to Michelle and HM as a royal “cuddle”.
Thus, it was clearly a great success for the Obamas.
(Oh yeah, and there was some talk about the economy, or something like that….but whatever….)