Charming queen away from protocol
Güncelleme Tarihi:
The Associated Press
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 04, 2009 00:00
LONDON - Michelle Obama's meeting with Queen Elizabeth II began with a handshake and ended in a hug. The first lady arrived in London on Wednesday with U.S. President Barack Obama. After separate meetings on the eve of the G20 summit, the couple attended an evening reception for world leaders hosted by the queen.
Michelle Obama clearly made an impression on the 82-year-old monarch Ğ so much so that the smiling queen strayed slightly from protocol and briefly wrapped her arm around the first lady in a rare public show of affection.
It was the first time Obama Ğ who is nearly a foot taller Ğ had met the queen. The first lady also wrapped her arm around the monarch's shoulder and back.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman who asked not to be identified because of palace policy said he could not remember the last time the queen had displayed such public affection with a first lady or other dignitary.
"It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection," he said. "We don't issue instructions on not touching the queen."
’Lizard of Oz’
When the former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating put his arm around the queen in 1992, the tabloids dubbed him the "Lizard of Oz." When his successor, John Howard, was accused of doing the same, a spokesman insisted, "We firmly deny that there was any contact whatsoever." In 2007, President George W. Bush gave the queen a sly wink during a visit she paid to the United States.The Daily Mail said the "two women clearly took to each other."
Wednesday's reception was followed by a dinner at Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street home, where the leaders' spouses were joined by notable British women, including "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and Olympic gold medal runner Kelly Holmes.
"Michelle walks in and she is as she seems," Holmes said Thursday. "So warm, engaging, a beautiful, beautiful lady Ğ and I quickly got my photo in the middle of her and Sarah Brown," the prime minister's wife.
Obama also seemed to win over the often-feral British press.
The last time a first lady made such a splash in Britain was last year with French President Nicolas Sarkozy's wife, the former fashion model and songwriter Carla Bruni.
But on Thursday, London's Times newspaper had moved on, writing "Carla who?"
The BBC described Obama as her husband's co-star rather than supporting act Ğ appropriate for a Harvard-educated lawyer.
Obama visited an all-girls school in north London on Thursday afternoon. She told the 240 girls about growing up on Chicago's south side, and urged them to think of education as "cool."
"I never cut class. I liked being smart. I liked getting A's," she said. "You have everything you need. Everything you need to succeed you already have right here."
Earlier Thursday, Obama attended a performance at the Royal Opera House with the other spouses and guests.
It was the first time Obama Ğ who is nearly a foot taller Ğ had met the queen. The first lady also wrapped her arm around the monarch's shoulder and back.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman who asked not to be identified because of palace policy said he could not remember the last time the queen had displayed such public affection with a first lady or other dignitary.
"It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection," he said. "We don't issue instructions on not touching the queen."
’Lizard of Oz’
When the former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating put his arm around the queen in 1992, the tabloids dubbed him the "Lizard of Oz." When his successor, John Howard, was accused of doing the same, a spokesman insisted, "We firmly deny that there was any contact whatsoever." In 2007, President George W. Bush gave the queen a sly wink during a visit she paid to the United States.The Daily Mail said the "two women clearly took to each other."
Wednesday's reception was followed by a dinner at Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street home, where the leaders' spouses were joined by notable British women, including "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and Olympic gold medal runner Kelly Holmes.
"Michelle walks in and she is as she seems," Holmes said Thursday. "So warm, engaging, a beautiful, beautiful lady Ğ and I quickly got my photo in the middle of her and Sarah Brown," the prime minister's wife.
Obama also seemed to win over the often-feral British press.
The last time a first lady made such a splash in Britain was last year with French President Nicolas Sarkozy's wife, the former fashion model and songwriter Carla Bruni.
But on Thursday, London's Times newspaper had moved on, writing "Carla who?"
The BBC described Obama as her husband's co-star rather than supporting act Ğ appropriate for a Harvard-educated lawyer.
Obama visited an all-girls school in north London on Thursday afternoon. She told the 240 girls about growing up on Chicago's south side, and urged them to think of education as "cool."
"I never cut class. I liked being smart. I liked getting A's," she said. "You have everything you need. Everything you need to succeed you already have right here."
Earlier Thursday, Obama attended a performance at the Royal Opera House with the other spouses and guests.