Barack Obama met the Queen at Buckingham Palace today and gave her a gift of an iPod loaded with video footage and photographs of her 2007 United States visit to Richmond, Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia. In return, the Queen gave the President a silver framed signed photograph of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh - apparently a standard present for visiting dignitaries.
It is believed the Queen already has an iPod, a 6GB silver Mini version she is said to have bought in 2005 at the suggestion of Prince Andrew.
UPDATE: Pool reporter Richard Wolf of USA Today says that an Obama aide told him the President also gave the Queen a "rare songbook signed by Richard Rogers". END UPDATE
Earlier, Mr Obama had spoken of his admiration for Her Majesty but indicated that his wife was handling the details of their royal meeting. "There's one last thing that I should mention that I love about Great Britain, and that is the Queen," he said at the end of his joint press conference with Gordon Brown.
"And so I'm very much looking forward to meeting her for the first time later this evening. And as you might imagine, Michelle has been really thinking that through -- because I think in the imagination of people throughout America, I think what the Queen stands for and her decency and her civility, what she represents, that's very important."
Mr Brown added: "Well, I know the Queen is looking forward to welcoming you and she's very much looking forward to her discussion with you."
There was widespread criticism in Britain and from Anglophiles in the US of Mr Obama's recent present to Mr Brown of a box set of classic American movies on DVDs that were not compatible with British DVD players.
11 comments:
Obama sure seems to be making lots of happy comments and giving great presents to everyone in his first one hundred days.
rofl
I think that it sucks that Obama gave her an ipod thats a couple hundered dollars, and they get a picture signed by the Queen. As far as her song choice she has, I have never heard of Richard Rogers, but if she likes it I guess its ok.
Technology is so incredibly fascinating! And that was a really sweet story. I think it is really neat when the older generation gets involved with modern technology. My grandma has recently started texting and has even set up a Facebook. I think it's the cutest thing ever! Who knows? Maybe technology has more power to link the generations than we think!...
I can honestly say that this is a pretty cool thing. I love how ipod has become such an easy thing to give to someone. "Oh hello your majesty, here's an ipod!". Just the fact that there was any exchanging of gifts at all was pretty awesome as well. I think that Obama is doing a good job at starting off with an appropriate visit with the queen. It shows good a good president in the making.
Its intresting the gift that our president gave to the Queen, a ipod. I can't imagien seing the Queen listinging to i dont know The Beetles or even Elvis on her ipod...it's just sounds funny.
That's pretty neat. I don't think it's lame that he gave her an iPod. It wasn't just the device, it was all the cool stuff inside it! All put together in a convenient, modern, and stylish way. But that was pretty lame that the leader of one of the most advanced nations in the world forgot to bring correct DVD's. It's the thought that counts, I suppose.
Well Obama's gift to the queen seems to be very thoughtful- an ipod is very useful and it has video footage of her visit to the U.S. on it. More meaningful than her gift to him, but I guess it is a standard and something she gives to all visiting dignitaries. It is good that the president is striving to improve our relations with England.
Great, now the Queen at Buckingham Palace will be downloading music too. iPods are the worst thing to ever happen to the music scene. You wonder why these indie artists barely go on tour and rarely come out with a new album. Its because they don't have enough money, because everybody just downloads their music. Ya, i know that people still buy songs on itunes, but that isn't any better. It isn't like you buy their whole album, you just buy one song. So now all these punks being played on public radio aren't trying to come out with a solid album. They're just trying to make that next big single. I'll finish this comment with a lyric by Apathy- "So what if I quit, nowadays record sales ain't sh*t. I did it for the love so long that I'm sick. Its hip hop thats the heart of me, but yall want to plug your iPods in my arteries and drain my artestry."
Go Obama!!! Wow out of all the gifts to give in the world he chose an ipod :D lol i think thats pretty cool. I thought he would give her something kinda boring or something that she would act like she liked and then just set it aside and when he left she let it sit there and do nothing, but no :) the cool president we have gave her an awesome ipod!!! =)
It seems like Obama is just trying to be on everyone's good side no matter if it's just a figurehead. In fact, that may be the very reason he is so enthusiastic about the Queen because she IS a representation of Great Britain, therefore it would be in good political measure to make sure that everyone knew that he admired the Queen and that they were friendly, because then that shows that the two nations are very much allied, which becomes threatening to opposing countries. < I know that was a run-on sentence but oh well. This isn't language ap.
i like how obama is giving the queen presents...atleast he isnt bowing to her (like past first ladies). but if were to give the queen of england an ipod i would put like journy on it and sweet home alabama just to see her face when she litened to it not videos of herself.
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