By now, most people have already seen or heard about the incident. It’s an image that was plastered over news shows for a full day – the image of First Lady Michelle Obama and Queen Elizabeth with their arms around each other. The Queen has her hand on the small of Michelle’s back, and Michelle has reached over and put her arm across the Queen’s shoulders. But what about the “no touching” protocol? Won’t anyone think about the protocol? It’s scandalous!
There’s some late-breaking news about all of this. Various sources (American and British) are saying that the Queen was the one to break protocol first. Allegedly, the Queen and Michelle were standing very close together when the Queen commented on how incredibly tall Michelle is. As the Queen spoke, she reached over and touched Michelle’s back, letting her hand rest on the small of her back. Then Michelle reached over to embrace the Queen as they spoke. Glad that’s settled. The Daily Mail has a version of these events:
She is not renowned for public displays of affection. Which made the Queen’s decision to put a friendly arm around Michelle Obama’s waist at a Buckingham Palace G20 reception – prompting the U.S. President’s wife to return the gesture – so utterly astonishing.
Finding herself next to Mrs Obama, the Queen remarked on their height difference. As she did so, her hand edged towards the small of Mrs Obama’s back. Mrs Obama responded – and even rubbed the Queen’s shoulder – before both women moved gently apart after about ten seconds.
The sight of the Queen publicly hugging another woman astonished other guests. An onlooker said: ‘It was a pretty simultaneous gesture. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.’
It was an electrifying moment of palpable majesté: A breach of centuries-long protocol when the friendly and outgoing Michelle Obama put her arm round the Queen.
It now appears, however, that it may have been the Queen who made the initial move. In any case, it was the first time that anyone can remember in her long public life that she has put her arm around another woman.
‘A mutual and spontaneous display of affection and appreciation,’ was how a Buckingham Palace spokesman hastened to describe it.
But the protocol concerning the sovereign has been set in stone for generations. ‘Whatever you do,’ courtiers are apt to warn, ‘don’t touch the Queen.’
From The Daily Mail
Ah, so everybody had a good freak-out and now it’s over. Hopefully. The Queen looked so small next to the Obamas. Perhaps the Queen simply doesn’t care about protocols anymore, and she just wanted a cool American girlfriend.
It seems the Queen wasn’t the only one who wanted to be Best Friends Forever with Michelle. The First Lady spent several hours on Thursday visiting a girls’ school in London. Footage from the event made me cry, I will admit that freely. The girls’ school has a 90% minority enrollment – a lot of those girls looked a lot like Sasha and Malia. The girls were so pleased to be performing for Michelle, and so many seemed overwhelmed to meet her. The Daily Mail has more:
There were hordes of screaming girls jostling to meet her – the sort of welcome usually reserved for pop stars. Michelle Obama proved a huge hit yesterday as she visited a London girls’ school for the first solo outing of her trip to Britain.
The U.S. First Lady was nearly knocked off her feet with adoration at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language College in North London. But far from being overwhelmed, she wrapped her arms around pupils and punched the air in appreciation as they performed.
She tapped her feet through dance performances and watched intently during a modern-day staging of The Tempest. Bringing a very American feel to the occasion she applauded with hands held high and high-fived one pupil before taking to the podium for her own motivational speech.
At Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, some 55 languages are spoken by around 1,000 pupils, with about two-thirds of the girls speaking English as a second language. The school prides itself on helping disadvantaged girls succeed.
Mrs Obama, a graduate of Harvard Law School, choked up as she told her rapt audience the world needs ‘strong women’. She said: ‘I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them.’
‘I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity. You too can control your own destiny, please remember that. Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.’
Her speech inspired more screams from her attentive audience. Before she left, she stopped to hug as many pupils as she could and was mobbed by excited girls as she leaned over the stage to greet as many as possible.
Sabrina Chowdhury, 16, was one of the first to get an embrace from Mrs Obama. She said: ‘Her speech was spectacular. There are so many girls in our school who need that kind of motivation. It moved us to tears. When she came in it was like the room lifted.’
From The Daily Mail
Michelle also told the girlsthat President Obama “is going to be very jealous of my afternoon. He’s meeting with important people, but it’s not as much fun as being here.” She ended her speech, directing an emotional word to the staff and the students – “These girls are terrific. The school is phenomenal, and you all should be very proud of what you have created … You are precious and you touch my heart… you touch my heart.” And yes, people are already comparing Michelle Obama to Princess Diana. I think it’s all the hugging and crying. All I know is that I need a tissue.
Here is footage of Michelle visiting the school:
Photos from the Obamas visit with the Queen are thanks to WENN.com. Header image from Timesonline
Oh dear, scandalous! God forbid the queen should prove to be a human being. An ipod and a hug! Next you know, she’ll order in a pizza and a point of Ben&Jerry’s.
It’s the end of the monarchy!
LOL @ the DM, they’ll have the queen on Michelle O’s knee locked at the lips before this story’s done. Just a very sweet, genuine, instinctive gesture of affection on the part of both women.
Loved Michelle O’s enthusiasm on her EGA school visit. The coverage of the girls’ response on the news was just fantastic, and really moving. (Bet the queen was watching and shouting ‘Go girlfriend!’ at the screen. 😛 )
It’s so nice to have international representation to take pride in.
Bittercup you are clearly on crack!
wow, bittercup, you certainly do live up to your name!
Wow, that video made me want to cry!! It was beautiful 😀
I love that she’s such an inspiration to those girls!!!
She’s right that nothing in her upbringing predicted that she would one day be FLOTUS!!!!!! It’s so amazing and inspiring that with education you can achieve the unimaginable!
McCain disguised as Bittercup…Hahahahahaha
hey bittercup why don’t pack up your white hooded robe, grab a case of michelob light, get into your pick up truck and emigrate to Redneckia or Rascismia. i hear the are looking for good citizens like you.
Take a chill buttercup, I did not see you complaining about Sarah Pailin’s clothes which were financed by the public and even more expensive than Mrs O’s clothes.
It is nice and refreshing to see an American President who has not been grreted outside with scorn, derision and hate. Nice to see demonstrations where American flags are not being burnt and effigy of our president mutilated or burnt. For that I am glad.
IMO – this whole touching the Queen business is STUPID. If the Queen doesn’t want to be touched, she should lock herself away and not go out in public! Talk about a lack of grace – that would be the Queen.
Such a tremendous relief to have a president and first lady who comport themselves with integrity, grace, and style. Good riddance to the cringe-worthy Bush administration.
Plus, the Obamas are just wicked cool.
I don’t like either one of these women but I have to defend their behavior. They obviously like one another, WHERE is the scandal????
The Horror!! The Nerve !! The UNMITIGATED GALL!! The Ice Queen cracks just a tiny bit and it’s the hug heard ’round the world. Talk about a slow news day.
Ivy & Geronimo – I’m glad I wasn’t the only one wiping away tears at Michelle’s speech & the girls’ reactions. It was all so moving – especially the part when Michelle talked about what she learned from the men in her life. I was almost sobbing.
I am SO impressed with the good work Michelle Obama has done in her short time as First Lady!
Inspiring schoolchildren in the U.S. and abroad, leading by example as a wonderful mother to Sasha and Malia, working in homeless shelters and showing that just because you’re down on your luck you’re still a valuable person in her eyes…she’s entirely modern and progressive, while embodying old school values and an incredible charm and authenticity. Love her!!!
After so many decades of ruling her country and being such a strong woman, maybe she feels that she can do as damn well she pleases. Good for her, protocols are meant to be bent 🙂
Well done Michelle!
Guess the Queen was as moved as we were when the Obamas moved into the White House! I’ll never forget the crowds on the Mall crying with joy at the inauguration.
I was so proud to have the Obamas representing the US at the G20 summit. They said he did a lot behind the scenes to get people to work together, to bring about positive results. Thank God he’s there working for us.
Mrs. Obama is pure class. Love her! Some media try to find anything to bring her down and she just keeps rising like a Sphinx. I love that she puts such emphasis on education.
As for The Queen of England, I think that she’s mellowed out a bit after Diana’s death. If she can accept her son’s former mistress as his now wife, then she’s not going to be all uppity over Michelle placing her arm over her shoulder and vice-versa. I love this story and how it endears them both to me.
Now the press is starting on the “glam-off” between Michelle and Carla Bruni (First Lady of France. They both looked great to me at their meeting.
Me too, Kaiser. I watched her at that school and had to wipe away the tears. My mother was with me and she was doing the same.
Someone needs to give Michelle a bit of style guidance, IMO. She’s naturally beautiful and has a toned, athletic body but she often doesn’t dress to her advantage. And she really needs to NOT tease her hear up with that high forehead. When she’s on, she’s ON but when she’s not, it’s just hard to look at because of all the wasted potential. She’s new at this though, so I’m just hoping she pulls a better style together. Bruni always looks amazing, but she’s a former model whose learned a thing or two about presentation.
“hair” not “hear” but you prob. read it that way anyhow, I hope.
“Who’s”. Damn. Need. More. Coffee.
Get over it. Who cares? There’s so much more to worry about these days than this.
Watching a video the other day that said “No-one – including the ladies-in-waiting standing nearby – could believe their eyes.” Am I the only one that doesn’t understand the newsworthiness of this event?
Here’s the link: http://www.newsy.com/videos/breaking_royal_protocol/
Not an Obama fan necessarily, but good for Mrs. Obama! The video was very touching. She is a First Lady with class.
<3 Michelle. <3 Her style. <3 her class.
People are so silly these days, they want to make mountains out of anthills at every possible moment.
A hug’s a hug! Some people are so stuffy. I mean, for goodness sakes, in some countries, people kiss each other multiple times on the cheek after meeting them for the first time! Yea yea, protocol schmotocol. She’s the queen, is she wants to hug someone, let her.
No post by Buttercup. She must have gotten turfed out of here. Anyway, it’s all very sweet…no big deal, a hug here, a shoulder squeeze there…let it be.
But the Brits are stuffy! It’s hard to understand from a modern perspective, but they have traditions that go back hundreds of years and it’s wonderful to see some of that old crap falling away. They’re just in awe, watching it happen.
Remember, too, please that while there may not be as rigid a formality, there are plenty of rules and protocols surrounding meeting the President at the White House.
You don’t get to go up to Obama and give him a big hug…
Moreover, I think the Queen deserves a great deal of respect. She has been an ambassador for her country all her life, has been a dignified and graceful Queen at all times. She, too, is bound by a lot of rules and has much less freedom than even the other members of the Royal Family.
Ahhhh, Michelle Obama is AMAZING. I luff her so much and am beyond thrilled that we FINALLY have a REAL woman to look up to – strong, smart, pretty, sociable, and dresses with complete class.
😀
The Queen is just one more person succumbing to the Obama charm!
can’t help it, but i love the queen. I think she’s awesome and yeah, she can do whatever the heck she wants. i would love to meet her.
The Queen is trying to show she isnt the stuffy person everyone thinks she is. She was born into her position and was expected to act a certain way but in her older age and with all the monarchy has been through in the past decade she is showing she is more down to earth than people think.