Claim: Prince William and Kate Middleton dislike the Obamas and “snubbed” them by not inviting them to their upcoming wedding.

MIXTURE OF TRUE AND FALSE INFORMATION

Example: [Collected via e-mail, January 2011]



Royal snub for the Obama’s: Royal snub for the Obama’s: Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding: President Barack Obama and Michelle are not invited! Michelle is livid over the snub and Obama can’t believe it. What is happening and what he can do about it seems to be the thought in Obama’s head. Meanwhile, William and Kate have it together….. Prince William and Kate Middleton are planning a royal wedding April, 2011. Prince William personally told the wedding planners to strike the Obama’s from the guest list. He stated, “He did not want Michelle Obama trying to pull her center of attention ploy to upstage Kate on Kate’s wedding day”. Sources reveal that William states, “She may run Obama, but she doesn’t run him or England”. The Democrats and Obama would like to play the race card as they have done so many times in America, but it is difficult when other black heads of states are invited to the wedding and will be warmly received. Now, what is the future King of England’s reasons for Snubbing the Obama’s to the world and making them a laughing stock? First, It has nothing to do with America beyond being so stupid as to elect such low class imperfection to the office of President and First Lady. The decisions that they make can and will affect the World. Second, Michelle called his mother Diana an over-sexed clothes horse, and further stated that she, Michelle, was more popular than Diana ever was. Third, Michelle Obama showed her butt at every major social function endeavoring to be the Queen in the lime light. In other words, just a lack of class. Fourth, the Queen Mother also has her reasons. Obama refused to bow to her, but a few days later bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia. Michelle manhandled her by becoming too familiar by putting her arm around her. The Queen only shakes hands with gloves on. Those are the Traditions that are still honored by the Royals. The Queen said to her staff, “Never allow that woman to be in the same room with me again” and she meant every word of it. The gifts from Obama and Michelle were both tacky and in poor taste. It is all a matter of class. In addition the Queen Mother supported Prince William in his decision, due to the fact, the word is out about the lavish booze parties at the White House, the expensive vacations and state visits that cost the American tax payers billions of dollars un-necessarily when the American people need the resources. We here at True American can’t decide if it is Just low class, no class, big a_S or all that has just been mentioned. The Obama’s are desperately trying to make it a slight against America. Every past Head of State has always been invited. This is not a state function and William is not yet a Sovereign. It is just a multi-million dollar private wedding and the Obama’s have been royally snubbed by the British Royals; not America, just the present classless leaders. The True American!



Origins: On 29 April 2011, Prince William will wed Kate Middleton, his girlfriend of eight years, at Westminster Abbey. Approximately 2,000 guests will reportedly receive invitations to that event, which is well down from the 3,500 persons invited to the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.

The nuptial couple has announced its desire to hold a “people’s wedding” populated with invitees garnered from the Prince’s work among his 21 charities rather than one with a guest list adorned with heads of state. The prince said in November 2010 instructions to his advisors that he wants “to see a guest list that reflects our friends, beliefs and future.” Because William is not the heir to the throne (he stands second in the line of succession, behind his father, Charles), the couple enjoys more latitude in this regard as their wedding is not classed as a “state occasion,” a designation that would necessitate a much stricter protocol.

President and Mrs. Obama are not on the guest list. In this, they have plenty of company: few heads of state are

likely to be invited to the wedding. (One confirmed exception so far is President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, whose name is known to be on the guest list.)

Ergo, while the e-mail is correct in its substance that the Obamas will not be invited to the royal wedding, the reasons given for that omission are not. There’s no evidence for the tabloid-style claims that Prince William or Kate Middleton have taken a dislike to Michelle Obama, that either of them fear Mrs. Obama will attempt to upstage the bride, or that Mrs. Obama called Diana (William’s mother) an “over-sexed clothes horse” or maintained she was “more popular than Diana ever was.”

Regarding the claims that Mrs. Obama tried to put her arm around the Queen or that the Queen instructed her staff to “Never allow that woman to be in the same room with me again,” a New York Daily News article about their April 2009 meeting described Mrs. Obama as shaking the Queen’s hand and President Obama as producing “an exaggerated nod in the queen’s direction to serve as the optional bow.” Interestingly, that same article reports that the Queen uses her purse to signal attendants when she wants to be rescued from people she can’t stand and in that meeting her handbag “rested in the crook of the queen’s left arm, which means that she’s happy and relaxed with her guests.”

The Queen did embrace Michelle Obama on a subsequent meeting, though, an act that was considered a departure from appropriate protocol on the Queen’s part, An eyewitness to that event said:





There was a bit of a bottleneck as all of the leaders filed out so the Queen started chatting to Michelle Obama. She appeared to look up at her and make a comment about how tall she was. As she did, she put her arm around Mrs. Obama and rested her gloved hand on the small of her back. Almost simultaneously, Mrs. Obama put her arm around the Queen’s shoulders rather more firmly. The pair then looked at their feet and appeared to be discussing their shoes. The Queen then dropped her arm and, a few seconds later, Michelle did the same. The entire exchange lasted around eight to ten seconds but was absolutely extraordinary.





This occurrence was noted as the first time in the 57 years of her reign that Elizabeth II had performed such a gesture.

As to “the gifts from Obama and Michelle were both tacky and in poor taste,” in April 2009 the Obamas presented the British sovereign with an iPod containing video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States, plus a library of Broadway showtunes (which the Queen is rumored to love) and a rare songbook signed by the composer Richard Rodgers. The Queen presented the Obamas with a signed silver-framed photograph of herself and her husband, Prince Philip, a token she bestows on all visiting dignitaries.

Finally, about the statements regarding the Queen Mother’s supposed umbrage at President Obama’s refusal to bow to her, and her alleged support of Prince William’s decision not to invite the Obamas to his wedding, we note that the Queen Mother has been dead since 2002, which puts the kibosh on any claims that she has been harboring a dislike of President Obama for any reason.

Barbara “queen mum” Mikkelson

Last updated: 17 January 2011



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