Are The Obamas "Struggling To Stay Awake?"
Leave it to an unruly husband to spoil a perfectly good photo-op.
Queen Elizabeth II has been married to Prince Philip for long enough to know that he's best kept out of earshot when television cameras are around.
He reminded her last night, when President Obama and the First Lady stopped by for a visit at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke of Edinburgh has uttered so many inappropriate things at inappropriate times that a book published in 2006, compiling his "wit and wisdom," cleverly labeled him the "Duke of Hazard."
Many of his comments have drawn cries of racism from social commentators in the U.K. — looks of bashful embarrassment at the very least. So when the Obama's stepped forward to shake his hand, many on this nation of islands probably held their breath and tried not to listen.
The headline on top of a glowing review of Mr. Obama's visit to London in The Independent today reads, "Obama: The perfect guest – shame about Philip". Why, you ask?
As Mr. Obama gave a brief synopsis of his grueling schedule from earlier in the day; meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the U.K. opposition leader, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao, The Duke butted in to ask, "Can you tell the difference between them?"
That was after he quipped that the Obamas were probably dreadfully bored with their trip to London and were likely just "struggling to stay awake."
Those are the sort of offhand comments I make at the wrong time that cause my wife to kick me under the table. As the cameras were rolling, Her Majesty couldn't give Prince Philip a boot, but I wonder if she shot him a glance, or just rolled her eyes?
Speaking of physical contact with the Royal family… Michelle Obama caused something of a small stir by laying a hand gently on the Queen's back during their encounter.
One does not touch the Queen. That is the long-standing protocol (explained brilliantly here by Time) when one meets the British head of state — you simply don't touch her, except maybe to kiss the royal hand if it is offered.
Well, as some in the British media put it, the First Lady and QEII had, "a little cuddle".
The Queen, while looking perhaps a bit surprised at the gesture, apparently put her hand on Mrs. Obama's back first, and anyway she didn't seem at all offended. She reportedly even asked the First Lady to "keep in touch".
"The queen put a motherly arm around Michelle, and then Michelle responded," Royals watcher Ingrid Seward told CBS Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen Thursday. "Apparently they were talking about their shoes and the huge difference in their height."
That shouldn't be hard, as Her Majesty has become rather well equipped with the latest in telecommunications technology. In addition to carrying a smartphone, the Queen now has a brand new iPod — a gift from the Obamas.
It even came loaded with 40 Broadway show tunes.