Queen Visits Jamestown With Cheney

Monarch Tours America's First Permanent English Settlement

(CBS/AP)  Queen Elizabeth II strolled Friday through a replica of the fortress British adventurers built 400 years ago in Jamestown, America's first permanent English settlement.

Under gray skies and flanked by Vice President Dick Cheney and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the monarch walked along a tourist village of primitive, thatch-roofed buildings.

Cheney noted the queen's last visit to Jamestown, 50 years ago for the 350th anniversary commemoration of its founding.

"Half a century has done nothing to diminish the respect and affection this country holds for you. We receive you again today in that same spirit," Cheney told the queen in a welcoming speech.

The queen did not speak.

She was also greeted by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who noted the historical ties between the two countries long after America had fought a war to win its independence.

Together, O'Connor said, the two nations had prevailed in two world wars and the Cold War in the 20th century. And the United States had prospered as a free land under laws borrowed from Britain.

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"These settlers used these legal tools in forming their community. The establishment of the rule of law derived from Great Britain is the great and lasting achievement we celebrate today," O'Connor said.

She also noted the stain of slavery got its start in America in Jamestown, where the first Africans arrived in 1619 and that the United States had only begun its long struggle for racial equality when the queen last toured Jamestown.

"Nineteen fifty-seven marked the year that the governor of Arkansas attempted to prevent African-American students from attending Little Rock Central High School," O'Connor said.

Since the queen's last visit there 50 years ago, Jamestown has literally been rediscovered, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips.

The queen toured an archaeological dig taking place at a site archeologists thought was lost in the river mud: the actual foundations and thousands of artifacts from the original settlement in 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.

"It's the first act, scene one of the American dream," says Bill Kelso, Jamestown’s chief archeologist.

Large crowds waited amid tight security to see the queen, lining her path through Jamestown Settlement.

Carol Rideout of Williamsburg woke long before dawn and headed out to Jamestown Settlement, where she and several hundred others waiting to see Queen Elizabeth II were pleasantly surprised.

2Rather than being kept at a distance from the replica of the three-sided original Jamestown fortress, they were allowed inside for a good view of the monarch.

"I got lucky. Everyone in the world knows Queen Elizabeth II. She's come so far and I just wanted to see her," said Rideout, a retired scientist.

The queen toured a facsimile of the armory believed to have been in the original settlement in the 1600s. Fred Scholpp, a costumed interpreter, showed the queen the sort of weapons it might have contained, including a 17th-century breastplate. She touched it with a gloved hand and smiled.

She also walked to docks on the James River nearby, where replicas of the three sailing ships on which the settlers arrived in 1607 and a cannon was fired from one of the ships in tribute to her.

The queen, Cheney and Kaine will attend a lunch in Williamsburg, then visit the College of William and Mary before the royal couple departs for Louisville, Ky., and Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Next week she visits President Bush in Washington.

On Thursday in Richmond, the queen addressed the General Assembly, lauding social changes in Virginia since her 1957 visit when the anniversary was an all-white affair and the state was in open defiance of a 1954 Supreme Court order to desegregate public schools.

[toolmangler-2009]

The Queen was taught "If you cannot say anything nice to or about someone, don't say anything at all"

[emhawks]

CHENEY & THE QUEEN DESERVE EACH OTHER.

[tbweb]

Cheney is hoping the Queen makes him a Knight! Good luck with that! LOL

[clarkssuppor]

r_r_k: thank you for your comments. please note that the prayer quoted is a Catholic prayer for the Queen. While catholics have their pope, they also pray for their queen (or president or prime minisiter, etc).

[iceman_1960]

The 2006 Helen Mirren film "The Queen", about the Royal Family and their reaction to Diana's death:

I don't know how accurate it is, historically, but it's a charming little film.

Two thumbs up.

[imprisonbush]

Cheney looks completely bored with the Queen. I was disappointed to see the Queen meeting with this fascist alleged VP. Why would anyone be seen with this fool. he's worse than the Shrub.

[j-whitman]

What's with the Pink ??? --- A new color code for Homeland Insecurity Dept. ?????

[j-whitman]

With the screws coming out of the British wood work on how the intell was fixed around the policy,,, I wonder if the Queen addressed the issue to King Diick ????

[inventagod2]

So the Queen didn't rate an audience with King George?
Or did she refuse to be seen with a cheerleader?

[cfin5]

r_r_k: Thanks for a very polite and correct posting for the Queen! I was begining to wonder if the was anyone with some class registered here. I have their names down and cant wait to crack my IQ throttle on them at a more appropriate time. Makes my scottish-american blood turn red,white, and blue plaid.

[fascistusa]

Look at the Picture closely...

King Cheney is thinking

"I could get use to this."

[fascistusa]

So much fun living in Fascist, USA.

I could see King Cheney's helicopter flying over Richmond, VA today going towards Williamsburg.

Just another reminder of where I live.

FREE AMERICA!!!!!!!

[Joelran]

What Cheney is thinking in this picture:
"Hmmm, think I could shoot her in the face, and get away it?"

[iceman_1960]

"Being a Queen myself I think this is wonderful!!! =() "
Posted by Iceman_196O at 08:27 AM : May 04, 2007

didntinhale also posts as Iceman_196O (ends in O, not 0)

He is a s*exual pervert and he just admitted it.

[iceman_1960]

"Half a century has done nothing to diminish the respect and affection this country holds for you. We receive you again today in that same spirit," Cheney told the queen in a welcoming speech."

That gutless Cheney.

Why didn't he go right at her about her shabby treatment of Princess Diana, that helped put that poor girl in an early grave ?

Is that asking too much of an American Vice President ?

[...j/k...]

[sevenveils]

The Queen and Cheney together?!!!! IT must have looked like a premier for the Dawn of the Dead.

[r_r_k]

To conclude ... It is a thankless task open to criticism by crass people who are jealous of the material wealth she has inherited through an accident of birth. Her life and the lives of her family are constantly under a magnifying glass and quite frankly, I don't think anyone in his right mind would want to change places with the royal family.
If for nothing else, the Queen should be given respect for what she has done with her life, living in duty and service for her people and her nation for as long as many of us on this earth can remember. You may not agree with her or with the idea of a monarchy, but the woman herself merits respect from us all for having performed her duty in the best way she knew how.

[r_r_k]

To continue ... As to the monarchy not working, I beg to differ. They may be well-paid, but the majority of the royals work their royal tushies off for charity, state and any other kind of event where a royal presence would be an asset. The royals promote millions, if not billions in tourism every year where people who come from countries without a formal monarchy get an opportunity to look into the fishbowl that is their life.
This queen has had an exceptionally long reign and has witnessed and been part of vast social changes. When she became queen in 1952, she was a shy young woman whose sense of duty overrode almost everything else in her life. She has had to change with the times and although it has been difficult, especially when duty doesn't count for much anymore, she has done her best for her people first and her family next.

[r_r_k]

As always, I am amazed by the wit and insight afforded by those commenting on subjects with which they appear to be so familiar.
The Queen is a figurehead, a constitutional monarch. She keeps up-to-date on world-wide current events and due to her 50+ years of experience is valued as a counsellor to the government. Part of her job is to sign the various bills that come to her from parliament. However, she also has the right of refusal, should she deem it necessary. This right, to my knowledge, has never been exercised, but is considered a safeguard to protect the British people from the elected parliament if necessary.
Another of her titles is "Defender of the Faith" which means she is the titular head of the Anglican church. Catholicism has the Pope; Anglicanism has the ruling monarch which dates back to Henry VIII. This explains the rather florid wording of the prayer quoted in an earlier posting.

[d33pthroat1]

I wish Cheney took her fox hunting. I hear it is very popular in the UK among royalty.