Oh, the humiliation. Once not so long ago one of the world's top celebrities in his own right, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle did not make the cut for invitations to the royal wedding in London next spring.
On April 29 in Westminster Abbey with all the grace and pageantry sure to capture international imaginations, commoner Kate Middleton will marry Prince William, son of Princess Diana. And don't forget the horsedrawn carriage perhaps.
But the current residents of the White House will not be there, according to the Daily Mail.
The official excuse provided to the British paper by royal sources is that the royal couple wants to share their special nuptial moment with ordinary citizens. Anyway, it is not an official state event, they said. And, you know, Westminster only seats 2,000.
Nice try.
So then how to explain the invites to French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni?
And how to explain the invitations to England-loving President and Mrs. Reagan for the wedding of Diana and Prince Charles back in 1981? And the subsequent invitations to the American first family for the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson five years later?
The English snubbed Obama? Don’t they like his policy of “smart diplomacy”? Hasn’t he raised our standing in the world, brought our allies closer, and turned enemies in to allies by just being the awesome one that he is? What possible reason could they have to be upset at the Chosen One? It’s not like he’s ever been called “the most unpopular man in Britain”. Right?... Oh, yeah! What has Obama done to deserve such a dubious honor?:
On that grand occasion in Buckingham Palace, President Obama on behalf of the people of the United States presented the British sovereign with the gift of an iPod. She gave him a photograph framed in silver.
That came a few months after Britain's visiting Prime Minister Gordon Brown was denied the traditional Oval Office photo op with the American president. And Obama gave Brown a couple of toy helicopters of Marine One and classic American movie DVD's, reportedly in a format incompatible with British players. Thanks for stopping by.
He, also, returned a bust of Winston Churchill, which was a gift from the British to the White House years ago.
Let’s not, also, forget, when Obama sent Gitmo detainees being sent to the British island of Bermuda, without even consulting with the British government. Obama was in such a hurry to try and fulfill his promise to close Gitmo that he didn’t even have the common courtesy to ask the prime minister permission before sending terrorists to one of his territories. Why would they be upset about that?
This is just another example of the fact his “smart diplomacy” skills has resulted in lowering our standing in the world with our allies and enemies not raising it, like he campaigned to do, when he was running for the presidency.
No matter how they try to spin this, this is a huge snub on Obama and, by-extension, America. He’s going to have to mend some fences across the pond in England and the rest of Europe, if he wants to get anything done on the foreign policy front.
Obviously the wedding should not be a place where tramps are welcome.
ReplyDeleteI understand the only places that do welcome the Obamas are homeless shelters.
I'm a Democrat and even I find Obama unfit. Neither Obama nor the First Lady seem to understand that their continual sneaky lunacy out of place in America.
We made a huge mistake electing that guy. A huge mistake. In fact, the Democratic Sweep is a massive failure simply because huge numbers of clearly unfit Democrats got into office and immediately began making horrific messes of every single thing they touched.
It would have been nice if even one of them, PARTICULARLY if our President even cared about the United States and the American people. They don't.
Had enough of idiots in positions of authority? Well, now it's time to put Rick Perry in the White House. He's definately the "go to guy" we need to get this country back on track, and he's definately no idiot. He even knows how to govern and we sure as heck haven't seen THAT in D.C. for a long time.
Hooray for William and Kate. I am an American and wouldn't want him at my wedding either. Lord knows he would want to make executive orders and change their whole ceremony, you know tax those in attendance, no prayers, etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE. FROM AN AMERICAN
ReplyDeleteGood for you William- Kate is the Bride and it will be about the two of you on your Wedding Day!
ReplyDeleteObama and that Anthropological study he's married to are the toast of bad taste and bigotry in the United States. They’ve play the race card all the way to the oval office- finally! someone has enough courage to say not here! The Obama’s don't run William or England!
OMG! The posts I've read here are ridiculous! Who gives a crap about a balding Prince in a country that refers to his wife-to-be as a "commoner". His incredibly ugly father will be a philanderer until the day he dies and his step mother looks like a horse! Who wants to go to that event? There'll be a scandal about him cheating, she'll spit out a few kids (an heir and a spare), then they'll get divorced, ALL before he assumes the throne. The writing's on the wall. Who cares about the bloody Brits? They'll be kissing our asses again, like the time we saved them from the damn Nazis!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post Obama!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhile I was unaware, I am not surprised. He has spent more time this term booking tv talk shows. Face it, he would rather be a celeberty than a polotician. The most powerful polotician in our country. Shame on America for giving him the power. I have loved the Brits. After all good manners are good manners.
ReplyDeleteThe invitations are not sent out until next month!
ReplyDeleteOne so steeped in superficiality ought not take exception with being summarily dismissed. This is, after all, a British Royal wedding and the UK is a sovereign entitled to set reasonable standards.
ReplyDeleteDoes Obama think everyone holds the same low standards as the Nobel ding-a-lings?
The Obama's are an embarrassment to our country and it was never more evident than when he returned the bust of Churchill. The Brits are our most stalwart allies and that was an abject insult. Good for William and Kate for not including them. When it concerns the Obama's it's simple, you can't fix stupid and you can't buy class!
ReplyDeleteIn an unrelated development, the Royal Family have had their visas canceled by the US State Dept.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of August 1993, when Belgian King Baudouin was laid at rest. The kingdom's foreign minister of that time, Willy Claes, later revealed that the Belgian government was relieved, when they learned that not president Bill Clinton, but retired president Gerald Ford would attend the funeral. The hassle brought to the Kingdom of Belgium by a president-in-office would had been tremendous. They all preferred the retired president. Emperor Akihito and Queen Elizabeth II took part in the funeral, along with all ruling European Monarchs - but they demanded less security measures than the US government.
ReplyDeleteCan you image, how this would be in London on the 29th April 2011, when Prince William and Katherine Middleton will tie the knot?
Well...this seems to speak volumes of how the world views our present leader. It seems as though they share the same feelings about the President and first lady that many in the US share. This president's time in office has lowered the standard of our great nation on which is was founded. Someone posted early...you cannot buy class...and there is certainly protocols that should be followed in the office of president.
ReplyDeleteI pray that William and Kate have their magnificant wedding...I am sure most of America will be watching. No hard feelings from us that the president and first lady are not invited.
Best Wishes to the young couple!
I see a lot of RW Bias Baloney on this page.
ReplyDeleteI think RWers have a HATE problem. Is that what they learn in Church?
ReplyDeleteActually RLDUNKERLEY Queen Elizabeth loved Michelle Obama. Breaking protocol to place her arms around her for pictures. You are just a RW hater.
ReplyDeleteThe Royal Family is trying to keep the costs down. If our President and First Lady attended, the extra security measure would be very costly and the Secret Service would have all kind of demands. I think it has been explained that this is not an official state event and THEIR protocol does not dictate heads of governments be invited. I think the Obama's like to party and have fun and would have liked to be invited. But they and all of us americans have to remember what a pain it is for security when they go to an event.
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that Heads of State aren't routinely invited to the weddings of second in line royals, right? I believe most members of the Commonwealth are, however.
ReplyDeleteYou guys want an invite, I guess you shouldn't have thrown a temper tantrum in 1776. ;-)
"Obama and that Anthropological study he's married to are the toast of bad taste and bigotry in the United States. They’ve play the race card all the way to the oval office- finally!"
Hmm, referring to Mrs. Obama as an "Anthropological study"? Hey, no race-baiting there...
The queen is a born again racist in a cover of crown, a faceless politician, no arguement there.
ReplyDeleteWho in the hell cares if they do not invite the President and First Lady?I am sure that they do not care one way are another.William and Kate are not our royal couple and I don;t see why the U S A gives a crap.and all of you racist bigots who gives a crap about you.I bet you did not even vote so shame on you.
ReplyDeleteAs a young girl I watched the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. She was the epitomy of poise, good manners, and a woman dedicated to her responsibilities as a sovereign. She has continued to be magnificent throughout her reign.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, most people are not aware of her sense of humour. How delightful she was in handling the "talking hat" debacle. So now Mrs. Obama puts her arm around the queen. Upon departure the queen said "Let's keep in touch." A little play there on the word "touch". Guess what? The Obamas aren't in "touch" with the Royal Wedding.
Why is it so hard to respect the culture of another country?
Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteI am a tad amused at the tone of the majority of these comments. We have it all from the extreme uneducated nationalistic head in the sand "Stuff em we saved them from the Nazis" (more of that later) to Race.
As an Expat Brit who loves the UK, is proud of the Monarchy, adores the US and whose Politics are UK middle of the road..I do think that there needs to be a little context...
1) As the previous poster points out it is not a State occasion so heads of non commonwealth states are not automatically invited (unless related by blood to the Royal Family) - this is called protocol.
2) He failed to take seriously the impending collapse of the Labour government in the UK forging close ties with Brown - especially post the banking crisis.. Instead of trying to get close to Cameron (His advisors should have given him a better heads up)
3) Obama has scored some pretty massive own goals in UK / US relations in his first 3 years... The Churchill bust was pretty insulting and misguided... however the constant reference to BP as British Petroleum (it's name was changed years ago) and the constant bashing of the UK during the incident last year was the real bad play... especially as at the time BP employed 29000 Americans, had it's exploration division HQ'd in the US and subsequently two not so small American companies were found equally libel.
So I think it is fair to say this is a slight slap in the face from Britian..
However we Brit's should also face up to the fact that there maybe another reason.. that they might just not like us - and there is good and honest reason within Obama's own family history for him to not like us. So what say that there was a little diplomatic groundwork done and there was a heads up that if they had been invited they might well have said no... Heaven forbid now that would have done some damage.
Finally I cannot let this "Saved you from the Nazis" line rest without response. If there is one thing that really really get's a Brit's back up about Americans it is this line...
There was no ass saving... The American govt machine was prepared to let the UK fall to the Nazis we know this thanks to the constant telegrams from a rather well known Mr Joe Kennedy the US ambassador to the UK until 1940 - Well known for wanting to build strong ties to the Nazi's and convinced that there would be a one nation Europe... with the greatest quote being "Democracy is finished in England." Fortunately you had a great president who stood firm in Roosevelt who had forged a great relationship with Churchill and unfortunately for Mr Kennedy the Allies (without the US) just won the Battle of Britain.. that was the first defeat for Hitler, the end of Mr Kennedy's political career - his sons did rather better, changed the US govt perception that perhaps there is a different option, and prevented the invasion of the UK. What it didn't do was stop the bombings and save the people of Europe. For that the Allies needed two things to happen... 1) the US to formally join the European war something Roosevelt needed to happen as opinion was still divided - Japan bombed pearl harbour and Germany duly obliged by declaring war on the US) and for Russia to break it's non aggression treaty.. well the Nazis did that for them and invaded the eastern front. Now had the Nazis have won the Battle of Britain then... Well they would have had no distractions of a Western front and as Russia was in no position to fight a full Nazi war machine pre 1943 the European landmass might have looked a little different.
So what happened was the US joined the rest of the World to fight for what we have today... it even fought alongside Russia and China... it fought for the good of mankind as a whole and we should be grateful for all nations whose men lay buried in nameless graves around the world...
America is great but humility goes a long way... hey perhaps that's what Obama needs to learn.
Just chewing the cud..
Thank you for the history lesson. That was all very interesting and, I think, important to remember. I usually don't find such eloquent and tactful posts on these kinds of blogs.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it matter? They weren't invited and that's that.
ReplyDeleteI do not think it would have happened had be been a little more"sub-servient". Remember now, that is what the British expects from Africans.
Meanwhile, the Obamas should do some soul-searching.
Well wisher
And now we know why the president chose this week to release his long form birth certificate. (He couldn't release the wedding invitation.)
ReplyDeleteThis has got nothing to do with President Obama or the American people. It is just about the foreign policy being followed by the american government.
ReplyDelete