Not since Paul Keating groped the Queen has a nation been so embarrassed by our prime minister’s response to the nation’s head of state.
Or perhaps more accurately, dying of shame at the media’s coverage of this shit storm in a Royal Dalton tea cup.
You loyal subjects of Great Britain have spoken — it’s hats off to the media’s coverage of Julia Gillard bowing, rather than curtseying, before Queen Elizabeth II. Not to mention daring to not wear a hat.
@mraikos I’ll get in early for my nomination of “curtseygate” for sideshow alley
@DblRistretto — the curtsey. Frenzied analysis around the extent of deference to an archaic institution – truly staggering.
Pretty much all the media outlets piled in on this one — but in a nutshell, it went along these lines: Gillard did not consider curtseying when greeting the Queen.
The British press then dutifully reported on the manufactured controversy. Sky News UK:
“The Queen has enjoyed her first full day of official engagements in Australia despite a row about the prime minister’s decision not to curtsy.
“… While the Queen enjoyed the flowers, the controversy over Julia Gillard’s not curtsying rumbled on.”
With all the star players:
“Matthew Archer, from the Australian Monarchists League, said Ms Gillard’s choice not to curtsy was rude and impolite, according to Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph.
“‘I understand she thinks we should ditch the monarchy but it’s just a sign of courtesy,’ he said. ‘It actually would be a sign of respect.'”
Just so you know, not that it matters apparently, curtsying to the Queen isn’t mandatory any more, according to royal protocol, although many women do choose to greet the Queen that way.
“The protocol advice to us was you either curtsy or bow your head, you should do what you’re comfortable with and that’s what I was comfortable with,” Gillard explained.
Off with her (hatless) head, we say.
But wait — another woman got done for this just a few months ago. Let’s cut to Bill O’Reilly on First Lady Michelle Obama, who also didn’t curtsey and also felt up the Queen. As O’Reilly put it:
O’Reilly: “She didn’t curtsey to the Queen, I guess she touched the Queen, which used to get you beheaded … you get beheaded if you were English for actually touching the Queen … so how did that go?”
The British forgave her, apparently. Not so Gillard, if The Daily Mail is to be believed:
Our sentiments are probably best expressed by First Dog on the Moon’s cartoon yesterday.
A self-confessed republican, no less.
I wonder if Rudd curtseyed? Quick! To the Grattan-mobile …
For accuracy, try Royal Doulton not Dalton. There’s sufficient ignorance amongst the Oz media Crikey, please don’t add to it.
Another “media beat-off”?
GOOD Grief another storm in a teacup albeit a Royal Doulton teacup!!!
There is not one person on this earth that I would feel obliged to courtesy to… nope not the Pope not the Dalai Llama and not the Queen. GO JULIA!!! YOU HAVE DONE ONE THING THAT I CAN APPLAUD YOU FOR.
Here we have a German immigrant from the Saxe-Coburg & Gotha lineage ( Prince Albert ) who married Victoria (from the House of Hanover- yet another German family) and we are expected to courtesy to their children and grandchildren.
Sorry Aussie’s are irreverent larrikins – the whole world knows that- and proud of it too.
For anyone who is interested this is the info http://www.royal.gov.uk/TemplateAssets/scheme7/banner01.gif
The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha came to the British Royal Family in 1840 with the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert, son of Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha. Queen Victoria herself remained a member of the House of Hanover.
The only British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was King Edward VII, who reigned for nine years at the beginning of the modern age in the early years of the twentieth century.
King George V replaced the German-sounding title with that of Windsor during the First World War. The name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha survived in other European monarchies, including the current Belgian Royal Family and the former monarchies of Portugal and Bulgaria.
In other words the Germans may not have won the world wars, but they sure put their people in high places in fact
most if not all of the European “Royal” houses have Germans sitting/ruling in them. I actually think it’s quite funny that people don’t know or don’t realise this… as you may have noticed I am a republican. Having said that I have nothing against the Queen, she has exemplified dignity, courage and has served well especially in organising a Commonwealth of Nations.
Apparently Tony Abbott didn’t bow when he met the Queen. Did that get a front page from News? Shocking! Outrageous!