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Latest update: 02/06/2009
- D-Day commemorations - France - UK - World War II
Paris denies reports of snubbing Queen Elizabeth for D-Day
A French government spokesman has denied reports that Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was not invited to a commemoration of the D-Day landings at Normandy. A Buckingham Palace spokesman had said they had not received an invitation.
AFP - France insisted Wednesday that Britain's Queen Elizabeth II would be welcome to attend a commemoration of the D-Day landings, denying reports that she had been snubbed.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be joined by US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the Normandy landings commemoration in northern France, on June 6.
But the queen has not specifically received an invitation from the French government, even though she was present for the 60th anniversary event in 2004, amid claims in the British press that she was annoyed at being excluded.
A spokesman for the French government, Luc Chatel, said that France had invited Britain to attend the ceremony and that it was up to Brown's government to decide who was to represent it.
"The Queen of England, as British head of state, is naturally welcome," he said, briefing reporters after a French cabinet meeting. "It's not up to France to decide who will represent Britain.
"Our contacts on this ceremony were members of the British government who wanted to take part in a ceremony which was from the start Franco-American," he said.
"June 6, 2009 is primarily a Franco-American ceremony," Chatel added, noting that the US president traditionally came to Normandy in his first year of office.
Earlier, a Buckingham Palace spokesman had said: "No invitation has been issued as yet to any member of the royal family." He would not comment on whether one had been expected.
The Daily Mail, which headlined its story: "Palace Fury At D-Day Snub To Queen", quoted an unnamed senior Buckingham Palace source saying the royals had been keen to support the event and the situation was "very frustrating".
The D-Day celebrations mark the anniversary of the allied landings in France, then occupied by Nazi Germany, in 1944 which marked a vital turning point in the course of World War II.
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Comments (6)
Disgrace
Just seen the ceremeony in Caen to celebrate D-day and Sarkozy and Obama stood to attentio to the American and French National Anthems...no representation form Britaion and no British National amthem. Is is as if we weren't even at the D-day landings, when in fact we sent he largest proportion of troops. What a joke.
as a French
to start with the stupidest sentence that we too often read here "as French" my reaction to this story is LOL
seriously, it's all ridiculous: what is irrespectuous in such a sentence ?
"The Queen of England, as British head of state, is naturally welcome, it's not up to France to decide who will represent Britain."
Great Britain and its people have been invited, as every year, for every commemoration. the fact that the queen didn't get her personalized bristol card doesn't mean we have forgotten the role she and her country played in WWII.
last, blaming Obama and Sarkozy for being to young to have served is idiotic: shall we stop commemorating WWII once all its survivors are dead ?
Queen snubbed
If the Queen were to attend, she would be the only one of the dignitaries who had actually served in WW2. The French have a very short memory indeed. President DeGaulle spent the entirety of the war exiled here in London and refused to learn English. That says it all.
FRANCE SPITS ON BRITISH & COMMONWEATH DEAD
Sarkozy and Obama are a disgrace. I hope they enjoy their circlejerk photo opportunity paid for by the lives of thousands of young soldiers, most of whom weren't American or French.
Absolutely despicable. You should all be ashamed.
D-Day commemoration
What a shame for me, a french citizen, to have a French president who commits blunders after blunders. And this one is just so petty! He and Bush should be locked up together.
D-Day invitations
Shame on Obama & Sarkozy! The D-Day invasion could not have occurred or succeeded without Britain! And Queen Elizabeth was an active participant in the effort (WWII).