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The Queen and Dubya

While Helen Mirren may have been able to essay her role and win an Oscar to boot, the real life role of Her Majesty Elizabeth II is definitely a hard one. After all there isn't any curtain closers and she can't get off the stage. It is hard to be a constitutional monarch. She can't express her private opinions except to her family, or perhaps to her Prime Minister and of course to her Royal Diary.

There are still quite a few constitutional monarchs around but Elizabeth II is the best admired. She understands the need for reform and updating Britain's institution but she won't compromise her identity. While her relations in Scandinavia may have taken riding on bicycles, she still rides her limos and the occasional carriage when her duties require it. While she has done away with the royal jet (flying to the US to meet the Bush on a chartered BA jet), she makes sure that she represents her nation well.

So when she met the President of the United States on the White House lawn, her host made a little blooper that is more or less forgivable when he slipped about the Queen's visit for America's bicentennial in 1976.

Mr Bush said ""in 17 - in 1976". While that should have been the end of it (even experienced news reporters on TV commit this error), Dubya winked at the Queen!

Horrors! It is very rude for a man to wink at a woman, or a grandma, or a Queen.

Her majesty's withering expression spoke volumes.

Thank God politicians have term limits.

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