White House intervention ruffles No 10
By Alex Stevenson
Prince Charles will attend this year’s D-Day commemorations after a diplomatic intervention from the White House embarrassed Downing Street.
No 10 had responded with raised eyebrows to Barack Obama’s offer to help Britain get the Queen an invite to 65th anniversary events in Bayeaux and Arromanches.
The events will be attended by Gordon Brown alongside Nicolas Sarkozy and Mr Obama, the heads of state of France and the US respectively.
A similar invitation had not been extended to the Queen, it has emerged, leading White House spokesman Robert Gibbs to tell reporters American diplomats would speak to their French counterparts about her apparent exclusion.
“We are working with those involved to see that it happens,” Mr Gibbs said.
Prince Charles will now represent the royal family at the commemorations.
British authorities appeared embarrassed by Mr Gibbs’ remark.
“We’ve been in touch with them to understand exactly what was meant by the suggestion they’d be involved in this,” the prime minister’s spokesman said this morning.
He revealed French diplomats were also unaware of the US’ intentions on the issue of the Queen’s attendance, adding: “We’re not aware of any lobbying.”
It appears the British government was happy with the Queen missing the 65th anniversary commemorations, preferring to limit her attendance to the big set-piece events which take place every ten years.
Downing Street denied the suggestion the government received a wide-ranging invitation for representatives of Britain.
The prime minister was invited personally by Nicolas Sarkozy on a visit by the French president in March, his spokesman said.
Buckingham Palace had said it was “content” with arrangements for the D-Day events, which take place on June 6th. A statement from Clarence House later confirmed Prince Charles’ planned attendance and that an invitation had been received by Mr Sarkozy.
Mr Brown and Prince Charles will join hundreds of British veterans in France on June 6th to mark the anniversary of the Normandy landings, the largest amphibious invasion in history.
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