the queen put hr hand on michelle's back first actually

Well so much for those etiquette lessons! The first lady is so embarrassing making the queen hug her like that!

Jeeze, this is ridiculous. The world is in an economic crisis and people are pissed because the first lady touched the queen. There are much more important things for people to be upset about these days.

I am actually mad that this is Fing news. So this geezer likes michelle? yay, woohoo, allright american you made the right decision, yee haw. SO what? She is also really good friends with GW but they didnt gush about that in the news did they?

"They' actually did gush a bit when Bush went to England, and "they" made a big deal that Tony-friend-of-Bill-Clinton Blair got on so well with Bush.

True, CG. I don't remember hearing about the Queen's opinion on Bush on American news, I read about it on the BBC site, I think.

Why is this news? There are things actually going on in the world, and we're talking about the First Lady's sh*tty manners? Really?

Stephley, I totally never saw "them" do any gushing, I'd love to hear where you saw "them" do that!
(Telling me to go look it up myself won't work this time, I'm asking about your experience!)

I loved the story of President Bush winking at the Queen and joked that she was QE the first. I thought it was funny but the Queen didn't like the winking one bit.

stephley your snarky use of quotations is noted and filed, because "I" think that "you" are "transparent" with your "dislike" of people on here.

Well thanks for your interest. My experience is that I read it online and saw reports on CNN at the time of the visit.
Reporters said they thought religion probably was why Blair seemed to shift from Clinton to Bush so easily. I remember wondering about Blair embracing Bush when they seemed to have such big political differences. Who really knew Tony, huh?

I think at the same time, there was a little fussing because one of the Bush daughters (Barbara I think) wore a denim when she met the Queen. I don't recall dates though, so maybe that didn't happen at the same time. I'm terrible with dates. I probably linked to the stories through Drudge because HuffPo wasn't around in the early Bush years.

That's my personal experience.

"Cool"

People have nothing better to gripe about these days, I guess. There's been griping for ages about *everything*, though, so I guess this was naturally what it would come to. sigh.

lol stephley!

[IMO, I think some people are jumping to conclusions that "they" = "conservatives"/anti-Obama folks when the "they" described here is actually the media.]

Seriously, if it's protocol that it's rude to touch the Queen, that seems like a sad existence to me. I like to think she welcomed/initiated some human contact because she's, you know...still human.

"Well so much for those etiquette lessons! The first lady is so embarrassing making the queen hug her like that!"

How exactly is a mutual half-hug embarrassing?

Stormy clouds abound on this thread

stephley your snarky use of quotations is noted and filed, because "I" think that "you" are "transparent" with your "dislike" of people on here.

At some point everyone basically becomes transparent on this site. After a year or more it doesn't take a high school diploma to recognize who likes "so and so" and who dislikes "so and so" on the sugar site.

Americans are not British subjects, I don't see how certain protocols that you point out apply to non Brits...other than the usual fault finding mission CS is on of late.

Exactly, tiabia! And sometimes "people" help out by consistently ganging up in the exact same f*cking group on the same people!
Stephley, I must not have been watching CNN that day, like I did every single day when I was that age.

Then Chaton, that would be your personal experience, wouldn't it?

you could look it up, if you were really interested.

ooof...my comment about etiquette lessons and embarrassment was sarcasm in reference to another thread where people had a cow about hand shaking and gifts and other highly classified and important matters (sarcasm, again).

I guess if I say something then I'm part of "the group" ganging up on people, but this seems to me like an overreaction spiraling out of control. This is the one time I don't believe Stephley was actually being snarky, not that I find snark to inherently be a problem. She was simply trying to use the same they CG was. I don't see what the big deal is.

Now if CG said "media" and Stephley then interpreted that as "they" then I could see the problem. This just seems like a hole lot of hoopla that wouldn't have happened if people weren't so sensitive and predictive of one another. Not everything is entrenched in history.

Sorry zeze

I was starting to wonder!

"This just seems like a hole lot of hoopla that wouldn't have happened if people weren't so sensitive and predictive of one another. "

Agreed!

The fact that this display of affection was initiated by the Queen was clarified this morning however it is now early evening and some media are still harping about OMG! Michelle broke protocol. Honestly is it a slow news day?

I'm glad citizen posted the Queens response and I'm glad she has a soft spot in her heart for Michelle.

"This just seems like a hole lot of hoopla that wouldn't have happened if people weren't so sensitive and predictive of one another. "

OH MY GOODNESS, YES. Seriously, many people on this site (I am included in this occasionally) need to step away from the computer and realize it's the internet, and to calm down.

This doesn't concern me at all, but I would kinda like to know why on earth President Obama bowed to King Abdullah.

Tiabia, thanks for clearing that up, and continuing the talking down to those you deem obvious.

And sometimes "people" help out by consistently ganging up in the exact same f*cking group on the same people!

Exactly, like how I feel everytime Stephley makes a comment in the past couple months certain 'people' jump down her throat. Its kind of ridiculous, can't you just let her express her opinion without being snarky back? What ever happened to the high road?

I find it interesting that it seems to anger some people so much that their President and First Lady are liked and accepted by other countries. This is a good thing isn't it?

I have noticed that too, Jinx!

Hyno said:
"The fact that this display of affection was initiated by the Queen was clarified this morning however it is now early evening and some media are still harping about OMG! Michelle broke protocol."

I have noticed that too! Some outlets will bend over backwards to complain about this couple! I heard one "expert" that has written books on the royals for decades, and he was gushing about how even Prince Charles complained that the Queen was never affectionate to him, so for her to touch Michelle was this massive big deal . But maybe you have to be English to appreciate it?

let's not forget that Michelle isn't a British subject. I watched the video, The Queen, initiated the hug first, and it looked like Michelle hugged her back, you know.. like in reflex, like just about everyone else on earth do when someone initiate a hug. It has nothing to do with her having sh*tty manners.

And the Ipod thing that I hear people gripping about. The Queen herself has gone on records and say she hates classical music and stuff and everything that was in it, had something that related to her and her interests as far as music goes. I thought that was pretty sweet gift.

This is news, really? The Queen actually already owned an Ipod before this one was gifted to her by the Obama's.

I'd love two iPods - one for books & show downloads and one just for music.

I read that the the Queen requested the new iPod because the one she already owned didn't have video.

Jinx,

I have wondered that myself. Perhaps having a likable First Family isn't a good thing to some people

No! Please tell me she did not REQUEST an iPod then give Obama a picture of herself in return...
If she did, that chick has seriously enviable kahones!

Obama also gave the Queen a rare songbook signed by Richard Rodgers since she likes showtunes.