Left Out of D-Day Events, Queen Elizabeth Is Fuming

By JOHN F. BURNS
Published: May 27, 2009

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth is not amused.

Indeed, she is decidedly displeased, angry even, that she was not invited to join President Obama and France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, next week at commemorations of the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, according to reports published in Britain’s mass-circulation tabloid newspapers on Wednesday. Pointedly, Buckingham Palace did not deny the reports.

The queen, who is 83, is the only living head of state who served in uniform during World War II. As Elizabeth Windsor, service number 230873, she volunteered as a subaltern in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, training as a driver and a mechanic. Eventually, she drove military trucks in support roles in England.

While serving, she met the supreme Allied commander for the D-Day landings, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and developed a fondness for him, according to several biographies. This prompted Queen Elizabeth, who was crowned in June 1953, to say in later years that he was the American president with whom she felt most at ease.

But on June 6, when Mr. Obama and Mr. Sarkozy attend commemorations at the iconic locations associated with the American D-Day assault — Utah Beach, the town of Ste.-Mère-Église, where the first United States paratroopers landed, and the American war cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer — the highest-ranking British representative will be Prime Minister Gordon Brown. His main role will be at ceremonies at the town of Arromanches, near the beaches where British troops landed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/world/europe/28queen.html?_r=1

invites her right quick.

She should be there.

The only reason I could think they didn't invite her was her age/not feeling well? But she's still very spry. So. :shrug:

edit: Someone needs to clunk Gordon on the head. He should have found out and cleared that up for her.

The question is whether it was was the French or the British. Either way, she should have been invited.

:-(

It stands to reason that she should have been invited. Then again, Brown should have pointed out the slight when it could have been rectified.

He'll do anything to keep the attention on him. If the Aueen is there it will be all about President Obama and the Queen.

As soon as Obama was out of 'boot in the ass' range, he started talking shit about him through "aides familiar with ..."

The guy is a tool.

"The French have also said the Brown government was slow to accept that the ceremonies merited more than a modest British involvement, since British policy had been to give full-scale government backing only to commemorations at decade-long intervals."
(clip)
"The tabloids quoted anonymous palace officials as saying the Brown government dropped the ball, possibly because of reported strains between Mr. Brown and the queen. Among other issues, the queen is said to have cooled on Mr. Brown because of his habit of appearing late for their weekly audiences. The Daily Mail quoted one “senior palace official” as saying that the palace had made clear to the government that the queen would have liked to have gone to Normandy.

or his next gift from Obama might be a Sham-Wow towel.

I don't like this at all.

I would consider that even more egregious.

Damn...I wish that I were old enough to have been able to see Zepplin and Traffic when they were young

Then my stupid boyfriend went with a pal of his, after FORBIDDING me to go with my sister! I was 19... and a stupid girl for letting that bully do that to me!

I never saw Zep... *sob* but I did see Plant on several solo tours. Not the same thing.

They still have time to fix it and have her there. I would bet that someone could come up with a little extra pomp & such to honor the Queen as the only head of state attending that actually served during the war.

'only head of state attending that actually served during the war"


Damn, she outlived them all.

Good on ya, Yer Majesty!

Or is Michelle going?

was he?

his 'Mum' is getting old maybe she ddin't want to travel?

The Queen Mother was over 100 when she passed away.

:7

..would show up dressed in their matching Wehrmacht uniforms.

:toast:

:rofl:

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She's not my favorite person by far, but she's now just a little old lady.

:-(

She really belongs there, and I hope that the ceremonies are jiggered around so that she can take a dignified role.

She and her sister too, let alone their parents, did their part for Britain. As the only world leader who is still alive from that era, she should have been invited. Crass oversight!!

:(

They didn't even leave London when Buckingham Palace was bombed. That took guts, and was important not only for Britain but for her allies others working and hoping for the defeat of Nazi Germany.

uniform of her nation and served during one of the perilous times in that country.

As a Head of State, and particularly since she served, she should indeed stand with others as they commemorate that day.