http://news.aol.com/article/france-snubs-q...zabeth%2F499824

Britain Fumes Over 'Snub' of Queen

(May 27) -- France did not invite Queen Elizabeth II to attend June 6 ceremonies marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings -- and Britain's press is in a snit.
'Nicolas Sarkozy in D-Day Snub to Queen,' says a headline in The Sun. 'Palace in Fury as Sarkozy Refuses to Invite Royals to 65 Anniversary,' proclaims another, in the Daily Mail.
Skip over this content
Getty Images / AP

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will host President Barack Obama at June 6 ceremonies marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. But France hasn't invited Britain's Queen Elizabeth, much to the dismay of Buckingham Palace.
Skip over this content

The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, marked the start of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has invited U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to attend the anniversary ceremonies. It may be the last time that large numbers of World War II veterans travel to France to mark the event.
France sent an invitation to Britain's government after Britain requested one, but Paris said it would focus most of its attention on the Americans, London's Telegraph reported.
"The commemoration is first and foremost a Franco-American ceremony given the recent election of President (Barack) Obama," a spokesman for the French government said.
France said that the queen "is naturally welcome," but that it is not up to Paris to "designate British representation" at the event.
The Daily Mail reported that officials at Buckingham Palace were angry at both France for not extending an invitation to begin with and at Britain's government for not working with France to secure an invitation for the royals.
"The failure to invite the queen -- who is head of state of both Britain and Canada -- will be seen as an insult to the memory of the 17,556 British and 5,316 Canadian troops who died to free France and are buried there," the newspaper noted.
One senior palace official summed up the dismay this way: "'We have made it very clear from the start we were keen to support the Normandy veterans in any way we could. No one is keener to honor their sacrifice. ...We have gone through all the normal channels and had conversation after conversation, but received no feedback. It is very frustrating."

France's characterization of the commemoration as "first and foremost a Franco-American ceremony" also rankles the British.
In a column headlined 'Capitulation, Collaboration and the Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys,' the Daily Mail's Harry Phibbs wrote that France shouldn't minimize Britain's contribution to World War II.
"We can't forget that Britain saved France from Nazi tyranny in the Second World War. And that the task was not helped by the French people's widespread collaboration with the Nazi occupiers. Huge vats of British blood were spilled so that France could be free."
While it is right to honor the American role, Phibbs wrote that Sarkozy is using the anniversary to cozy up to Obama. "It is about photo opportunities for himself rather than gratitude to the veterans," he said.
Robert Hardman, another Daily Mail columnist, agreed. He said Sarkozy's main goal is "a one-on-one love-in with Barack Obama, the man of the moment."
"If the Queen or [Prince Charles] turned up, Mr. Sarkozy would have to divide his attentions between British commonwealth events and the commemorations in the American sector," Hardman wrote. "As things stand, he can enjoy a whole day of uninterrupted face time with Mr. Obama in front of the world's media."

Tacky, tacky, tacky.

Nicky seems to have forgotten what the D-day celebrations are all about.

It’s not a photo opportunity to further his political career

It’s an acknowledgement of the sacrifice of our greatest generation

He forgets that without them he wouldn’t have a presidency

Without them he wouldn’t have a country

This may come back to haunt him when he least expects or wants it to

Can this be true?

If so, President Obama should be canny enough to take a pass.

His diplomatic and historical acumen are still a question mark. I suspect that his staff will figure out that participation under these conditions would be both a diplomatic and legacy SIF (Self Inflicted Wound).

Doug, Don't be silly. These are the same people who had to have recommended and approved the DVDs and IPod for cryin' out loud! Best to just not even pay attention to Omaha this year. Embarrassing, really.

I heared that Prince Charles will attend in Normandy this weekend. I am curious to know if the Queen will attend, perhaps she will change her mind at the last second.

So far, only Prince Charles will attend, representing the Queen. The Whitehouse had to intervene on 'our' behalf!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics...nniversary.html

Mmmmmmmmmm what do I have to think about that

Good political instincts by the WH. Still, I remain extremely offended that the current French administration regards D-Day as solely a US-French historical occasion.

Monsieur L' President, I have a few words for you: Pegasus, Gold, Juno, Sword. Voila.

Can we go back and redo the anniversary of Trafalgar with a less Eurocentric focus?

Perhaps Sarkozy's historical interests lie in an earlier era, when British monarchs often arrived on the shores of France without an invitation.

I didn't know about this but I don't think it's fair at all to make it a Franco-American event only.

This seems even more bizarre because I read yesterday that Obama annoyed both Angela Merkel and Sarkozy and that they were now trying to team up to counter balance him... Even though Merkel didn't like Sarko in the first place... Well, well, well, politics stink!

I certainly don't agree with the French government's decision. Then again , I have no say in the matter and I didn't vote for that lot!

Nathalie

As things stand, he can enjoy a whole day of uninterrupted face time with Mr. Obama


I do hope that Mr. Obama asks France to supply 2000 troops for work in Afghanistan in return.
The French Foreign Legion will do nicely thank you.

I think the PoW should run the last kilometer with Danny's lads!!! Wouldn't that be spectacular?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WgUSMrooj8...player_embedded

Word is Obama found out that Szrakosy [sic] made snotty remarks behind his back. Why Obama doesn't warm up to Frau Merkel, I have no clue, but we all have to work together. Ya know the British people had their backs to the sea when all of Europe was under the Third Reich or Mussolini. And Churchill was right, never was so much owed to so few. C'est let guerre.

Steve, you said u were gonna find it

Not to mention all the fun we would have had staging the invasion out of New York City and Boston, and relying on carriers for protection against a Luftwaffe that had not been weakened by four bloody years of air combat!

Without England, the attack on Nazi-controled Europe could only have been mounted through Africa and from the Med. The Normandy landings would have been impossible, period. A successful attack on Africa could not have been made until 1943, at the earliest. And the big question is, would the USSR have survived fighting alone for that long?

Would we have even bothered to undertake such an imposing task without England urging us on? After all, we had a perfectly servicable enemy on the other side of the world. Why not let Europe stew in its own juice, and rely on the fact that after we completed our naval buildup, Europe could not possibly attack us?

England's contribution to D-day goes far beyond the English forces landed in France on June 6, 1944.

Mike

I understand all your rants but remember: politics stink and as far as I can understand it, this is purely a scheming manoeuvre from Sarkozy.

Don't put all the French in the same bag, as we say.

Nathalie

C'est vrai, ma amie.

Ecoutez, you can no more lump all French people together than you can all the subscribers on this forum. Like you said, it is all politics. However, a good politicians should know what comes around goes around.

Shelia

Nathalie, please note that my rant was directed to the "current French administration." I try to be mindful of Nathalie when I rant.

Doug,

I know, but sometimes I get a little fed up reading "the French" this and "the French" that. It's not just in this thread, it's general on the forums.

We are a tiny minority here but I feel a little hurt at times...

Bisous,
Nathalie