Don't You just Love this Guy ?

London, May 9: When you’ve just made it sound like the Queen is more than 200 years old, there may be a few ways of recovering from the gaffe.

But turning to her and giving her a sly wink is probably not included in any book of royal etiquette. That’s what happened on Monday after George Bush mangled his greeting to the Queen on her state visit to the US.

                                                                     

Stumbling over his words, he came perilously close to suggesting that       

 the  monarch had toured the States in 1776.
 
And although the President’s following wink was initially rewarded with a regal glare, the Queen did at least seem to see the funny side of the blunder.

After the blunder the President paused and turned to the Queen to acknowledge his gaffe, joking that she “gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.”

Ripples of laughter echoed around those gathered at the event and the President laughed off the mistake and continued his speech.

The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh flew into the American capital for a two-day stay — the finale of their East Coast trip the other side of the Atlantic.

Ahead of the White House dinner, The New York Times had been pondering: “How does George W Bush, a towel-snapping Texan who puts his feet on the coffee table, drinks water straight from the bottle and was once caught on tape talking with food in his mouth, prepare for a state dinner with the Queen?

“With tips from an etiquette guide, of course — and a little gentle prodding from his wife.”

Bush is the leader who once greeted Prime Minister Tony Blair with: “Yo, Blair. How are you doing?”

It is hoped that gaffe-prone President Bush will manage to host the state visit without any hiccups