Bush to get etiquette tips before he receives the Queen [View All]

[deminks]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/04/america/04queen.php

WASHINGTON: How does George W. Bush, a towel-snapping Texan who puts his feet on the table, drinks water straight from the bottle, talks with food in his mouth - and once gave Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany an impromptu shoulder massage - prepare for a state dinner with the British Queen? With tips from an etiquette guide, of course - and a little gentle prodding from his wife.

The White House is all atwitter over the visit planned for Monday by Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip. It is the first visit by the queen since 1991, when Bush's father was president, and White House aides say the state dinner to honor her is not only the social event of the year, but the social event of the Bush presidency.

It will also be closely watched by Washington's social elite for its clash of cultures: Texas swagger meets British prim. Dinner attire is white tie and tails - the first, and probably the only, white-tie affair of the Bush administration - and the president, not a white-tie kind of guy, was said to be none too keen on that, until Mrs. Bush put her foot down.

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And once her majesty finishes her meal, everyone's meal is finished. (Not to worry, said aides to Mr. Bush: "He's a really fast eater.") The guidebook also includes dietary restrictions; for the queen, said Anita McBride, Mrs. Bush's chief of staff, there was just one: "She doesn't like spicy food."
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