When Monarchs Attack

[Sheilbh]

It seems the Queen did get pissed off at one statesman.  It's not surprising who attracted Royal ire:

'We are NOT offended': Palace tries to smooth over Queen's 'Why does he have to shout' jibe at Berlusconi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSUn_J__MUk

The Queen today played down claims she had become annoyed with gaffe-prone Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi at the official G20 photocall.

Footage shows Mr Berlusconi being reprimanded by the Queen for being too noisy during the traditional 'family' photo of world leaders.

He nearly took Barack Obama down with him when at the end of the session he shouted out: 'Mr Obama!'. The U.S. President replied, more quietly: 'Mr Berlusconi.'

The Queen, on hearing Mr Berlusconi's strident tones, turned - seemingly to Mr Obama - and exclaimed about Mr Berlusconi: 'What is it? Why does he have to shout!'

The clip has already become a web sensation, but today Buckingham Palace insisted there had been no irritation or any 'gaffes'.

A Palace spokeswoman described the reception as 'warm and friendly' and said everyone involved was good-natured.

She added: 'It was loud and jolly and very jovial, there were no gaffes and no offence taken.'

The footage was shot on as part of the official G20 pool film and then distributed to the world's media.


Berlusconi, top right, glances down at the Queen during the photoshoot. His proximity to Obama begs the question why he had to shout 'Mr Obama'

But sharp-eared Italian journalists heard the distinct tones of Berlusconi as he shouted out towards Mr Obama and noticed the Queen's disapproving body language.

Within minutes the footage was posted on Italy's YouTube site as well as that of national newspapers including La Repubblica and Corriere Della Sera getting hundreds of hits.

One comment on YouTube said: 'Oh my goodness - where are his manners. The Queen should lock him in the Tower.'

Another comment said: 'It's what the world has come to expect from Silvio - and he now wants to be President of Italy. God help us.'

As well as being popular on the web, the Queen's disapproval of Berlusconi was seized upon by newspapers back in Italy who put the story on their front pages.

Corriere Della Sera had a cartoon on its front page showing the Queen with her fingers in her ears and the other G20 leaders looking startled as Berlusconi shouted out. The caption read:'The Voice of Italy'.

Corriere Della Sera's editorial described Wednesday's incident as an 'embarrassment' for Italy.

While another cartoon in La Repubblica shows two people discussing the incident with one saying:'Berlusconi's capacity for making a spectacle is unreachable.'

While the other replies:'Here in Italy we call it charisma.'

Its article read:'Yesterday on the web there was nothing more clicked, nothing more talked and it had nothing to do with international politics.'

At a photoshoot of world leaders at the G20 meeting in London yesterday Berlusconi managed to get noticed by not appearing in it.

First the Canadian PM disappeared for a 'bathroom break' and by the time he was back Berlusconi had disappeared.

Mr Berlusconi, 72, is well known for his gaffes and schoolboy jokes on the world's stage.

In 2002 he became the focus at another international summit when he made 'devil's horns' with his fingers behind the head of Spain's former foreign minister Josep Pique.

Last year he caused outrage by describing the U.S. President as 'suntanned'.

More recently he claimed that his response to the global economic crisis was different to that of the American president because 'I'm paler'.

He has also caused outrage by referring to German MEP Martin Schulz as a 'concentration camp guard'.

At the start of Italy's EU presidency in July 2003 he said: 'I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps - I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo (guard chosen from among the prisoners) - you would be perfect.'

He offended the Chinese in 2006 at a rally during the 2006 election campaign by saying: 'Read The Black Book of Communism and you will discover that in the China of Mao, they did not eat children, but had them boiled to fertilise the fields.'

And while at the New York stock exchange he managed the following comment: 'Italy is now a great country to invest in... today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries... superb girls.'

And Mr Berlusconi boasted that he had used all his 'playboy charms' to win over Finland's female prime minister to convince her to set up the EU Food Safety Authority in Parma, Italy.


Me and my mates: Berlusconi squeezes in-between Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as they pose at the G20 summit yesterday

His practical jokes have also fallen foul of his long suffering wife Veronica - he was forced to make a public apology to her after he told two stunning TV starlets that he 'would marry them' if he wasn't already married.

Fabio Evangelisti, of Italy's anti sleaze party Italia dei Valori (Italy of Values), said: 'At the G20, Italy has made its umpteenth embarrassing international impression.

'Our country does not deserve a Prime Minister who shouts out and earns the rebuke of the Queen - he can behave like that when he is with his songwriting friend [Mariano] Apicella or with his TV friends.

'He should not behave like that when he is representing Italy. It is not right that he should discredit our image in the world in this way.'

[The Brain]

I like g'affes.

[DGuller]

Man, if I ever meet the Queen, I would probably completely freeze up and stammer out of fear of doing or saying something stupid, or making some kind of a gaffe.  Well, that goes for any woman, but even more so for the Queen.

[The Brain]

What Would Frank Drebin Do?

[Siege]

She should abdicate.

[Siege]

Man, if I ever meet the Queen, I would probably completely freeze up and stammer out of fear of doing or saying something stupid, or making some kind of a gaffe.  Well, that goes for any woman, but even more so for the Queen.

Don't worry, you are never going to meet her.

[Admiral Yi]

Porque no te callas Silvio?

[jimmy olsen]

She should abdicate.

In favor of William

[Siege]

She should abdicate.

In favor of William

Probably better for the monarchy, but it wouldn't be right.
Charles deserve to be king.

[Siege]

Porque no te callas Silvio?

I haven't seen Martim Silva around here.

[Martinus]

She should abdicate.

In favor of William

Harry.

[Martinus]

And wow, I haven't realised Berlusconi is that old.

[Siege]

She should abdicate.

In favor of William

Harry.

Fag.

[Siege]

And wow, I haven't realised Berlusconi is that old.

Yeah, a friggin dino.

[garbon]

Fag.