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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Opps He Did it Again: Obama's Gifts to The Queen |
| 2009-04-01 |
| H/T Jonah at NRO Diplomatic jaws dropped across the continent yesterday when it was revealed that U.S. President Barack Obama had, once again, fumbled a routine protocal of international statecraft: finding the right gift for a foreign leader or head of state. In a private ceremony with Queen Elizabeth, Her Royal Highness bequeathed to the Obamas one of the earliest known copies of William Shakespeare's Henry V. She also presented him with the framed orginal sheet music of John Newton's "Amazing Grace." To the Obama daughters, the Queen gave a dollhouse-sized replica of Windsor Castle with a functioning train station in the year of the compound. They also received a prize Shetland pony. Mrs. Obama was given a ruby ring commissioned and worn by Queen Victoria. The Obamas, unfortunately, did not seem prepared for the occasion despite the row set off by the exchange of gifts between Prime Minister Brown and the U.S. President barely a month ago. Mr. Obama rather unceremoniously handed the Queen a shopping bag from the Duty Free shop at Heathrow airport. It contained a signed paperback copy of Dreams of My Father, purchased at the WH Smith shop at the airport, a bottle of Johnny Walker Scotch (black label), a CD of the Swedish band ABBA's greatest hits (still in shrink wrap with a 2-for-1 sticker on it) and ten bags of M&Ms with the presidential seal on them. The Queen responded in a rather flat: "How delightful." |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #10 He could have given her a GM car. No, he'd probably give her one with the steering wheel on the wrong side. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2009-04-01 20:54 |
| #9 "(still in shrink wrap with a 2-for-1 sticker on it)" |
| Posted by: newc 2009-04-01 18:28 |
| #8 Wrapped in that dignified Chicago Class. |
| Posted by: newc 2009-04-01 18:27 |
| #7 Did he at least take the price tags off? ;) |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-04-01 18:20 |
| #6 do you wanna repo the dollhouse? |
| Posted by: Mt Dew addiction 2009-04-01 17:59 |
| #5 As a related aside: I know that gifts to the President are considered the property of the US. Does anyone know if this applies to gifts to the first lady (I would guess it does)? How about gifts to the children? |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2009-04-01 17:10 |
| #4 Jonah's April Fool fun --- Here's this Barack Obama met the Queen at Buckingham Palace today and gave her a gift of an iPod loaded with video footage and photographs of her 2007 United States visit to Richmond, Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia. In return, the Queen gave the President a silver framed signed photograph of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh - apparently a standard present for visiting dignitaries. It is believed the Queen already has an iPod, a 6GB silver Mini version she is said to have bought in 2005 at the suggestion of Prince Andrew. UPDATE: Pool reporter Richard Wolf of USA Today says that an Obama aide told him the President also gave the Queen a "rare songbook signed by Richard Rogers". END UPDATE |
| Posted by: Sherry 2009-04-01 15:01 |
| #3 You gotta be kidding me. |
| Posted by: DK70 the Scantily Clad7177 2009-04-01 14:48 |
| #2 If it wasn't for my bias (take your pick), I would think this was an April Fool's Joke. |
| Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 2009-04-01 14:14 |
| #1 This has gotta be April Fools bullshit... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-04-01 14:14 |