See my reply to the other "Dame" post - for sure Jim, the timing of all this is at the behest of Downing Street, no doubt to "bury the bad news" of the controversy surrounding Cherie's speaking tour of Australia!!
I believe, although I could well be wrong, that downing street make the list and therefore the decisions and the queen rubber stamps it and then does the sword waving mad axeman thing.
'Boring' Mrs Blair forgets which country she's in
By Stephen D'Antal in Auckland and Paul Chapman in Wellington
(Filed: 08/02/2005)
Cherie Blair opened her controversial Australasian speaking tour last night with a spectacular gaffe, forgetting which country she was in.
Diners at the charity event in New Zealand listened in shock as she confused them with their arch-rivals in Australia.
Cherie Blair visits the Starship children's hospital in Auckland
The Prime Minister's wife, despite charging a reported £125,000 for her six-date tour of the two countries, then made the same mistake again.
"Calling us Australians was the worst faux pas you can imagine - and she did it twice," said a businessman after the speech. "I don't think she benefited herself with her presentation. And it was boring. I give her a two out of 10."
didn't the queen nip down to alec rose or francis chichester and gave them one on quayside? A knighthood, i mean. That's be pretty good (provided that Cilla Black didn't compere the event as surprise surprise, although that actually would be pretty fab-ghastly too!)
curious (thinking this another ensign post!!) as to which country the boat is registered in ... saw a clutch of flags at her stern, one looked like the Brittany flag but no red duster ... maybe Oz where it was built? tsk .. tsk handing out a dameship to an aussie tub owner ....
If one suggests that one is tired of her vulgar freeloading one is accused of (a) "being jealous of her sucess" (b) "trying to get at her husband through her" etc.
Well, I'm not jealous of Ellen MacArthur's sucess - she earned it.