D-Day 70th Anniversary: June 6, 2014

[Nico]

When I see the Queen at events like this it really makes me dread the day she's not with us anymore. The level of respect and affection for her from many people all over the world is so touching.

Can't agree more. Yesterday thousands were genuinely happy to see her in Paris and it was quite funny to hear some Parisians, usualy so difficult to impress, shouting "Vive la Reine".

 

[Nico]

ANYWAY

To calm down some spirits, here 's a link with the uber delicious menu served to the Heads of States at the chateau de Benouville.

Découvrez les plats servis aux chefs d'Etat au château de Bénouville, le 6 juin 2014 - France 3 Basse-Normandie

 

[VictoriaB]

I wonder why you are coming here to offend the Allies and criticize the western way of life and our Heads of State from past and present.

What a shameful way to act on such a important day.

The heads of state were there as representatives of their various countries. It was right that President Putin was invited even though the Soviet Union did not participate in the Normandy invasion. Regardless of what Stalin did before, during and after the war, surely nobody can deny that without the sacrifice of the Soviet people the outcome of the war might have been very different.

I don't think any one head of state should have been considered more or less important than any other. Yes, Queen Elizabeth served during the war but in a very, very, minor capacity. You cannot genuinely say she was in the thick of things. She wasn't even in London during the Blitz when many British civilians did live 'in the thick of it'. Her husband on the other hand....

This should not have been about the heads of state (or future heads of state). Today was about those men and women who took part in the landings. Personally, I was offended that the British Daily Mail chose to make their headlines about the royal family (even though I adore the Queen, DofE, Charles & Camilla). I thought that was completely inappropriate.

Just an opinion of course.

 

[Skippyboo]

He was being nice. They have a good relationship. I'm sure the Queen didn't mind. How much flack would he have gotten if she fell and he didn't offer to help her down the stairs?

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Obama is actually a big fan of The Queen, and has always been very kind to her. He was the only head of state who spoke during the diamond jubilee, wasn't he?

 

[BritishRoyalist]

Obama is actually a big fan of The Queen, and has always been very kind to her. He was the only head of state who spoke during the diamond jubilee, wasn't he?

Has there ever been a president who wasn't a fan of her? Every president who she has met have like her and has said nothing but nice things. She had a great relationship with Reagan and Bush Sr. She one of the few head of states in the world who like and respected by almost all other politicians, leaders, head of state/ government.

 

[Pranter]

Frankly I don't care if heads of state were there or not (unless they themselves served ie Queen Elizabeth etc) ..the day was about the men who were there on that day...those few men left out of that group. I understand we are losing them at a fast rate now...local doctor here went to the event, he's 91 and survived Omaha Beach which I think had the highest death rate.

We lost over 4500 men on D Day (this includes all allies) in the first 24 hours...a week later when the second wave came in the sand was stained with blood and bodies were stacked waiting for burial.

Anyone who has not seen the series, Band of Brothers (the Englishman Damien Lewis has the lead role) it is a must see. Pacific is another series that should be seen. The movie The Longest Day another fairly historically accurate movie...well worth watching. There are others.

If you have any family members left alive who were in WWII thank them. When my grandfather died a few years ago we were going thru his papers and discovered he had earned a Bronze Star for Valor during WWII and no one ever knew..not even my grandmother or any of his kids. We have no idea why or what he did.

Anyway the day is not about who sat where or who should or shouldn't of been there...it is about the greatest generation we've had and the sacrifice they made for all of us.


LaRae

 

[Al_bina]

D Day celebrations | Blogs•Spletnik.ru

Mrs Cameron looked lovely.

 

[Mbruno]

(I hope it's allowed to quote from other threads. If not please remove it)
As can be seen on video from QEII's arrival both Putin and KH applauded as she made her way down the carpet to greet the veterans

And now I can also see Queen Maxima applauding behind President Obama.

Thanks for the video.

 

[kbk]

D Day celebrations | Blogs•Spletnik.ru

Princess of the Netherlands, consort of the King ; looked the best IMO.

 

[Mbruno]

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) were important figures in the war effort. They could have left London during the blitz or sent the princesses to Canada, but they didn't, in a way putting themselves and their family in harm's way to share their people's suffering. That was a big boost to British morale. The fact that Princess Elizabeth chose to serve as a driver and mechanic only added to the symbolism of the RF joining the war effort and meant much more than her daily chores per se.

BTW, Prince Philip was in the Navy during the war and had actual combat experience. I guess you could call him a "true veteran" by your standards.

 

[Tiggersk8]

Queen Elizabeth is indeed a Veteran. My Late Aunt was also "only just a driver and mechanic" in the Royal Canadian Womens Army Corps on what is now CFB Trenton in Southern Ontario. Would you also question her Service or her right to have been called a WWII Veteran?

Of all the things I could have expected to see in this thread today, seeing such a disgusting post was not one of them.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Regardless of one's opinion of Putin and Russia, the involvement of the Soviet Union during the Second World War is not one to take lightly. They played a huge role in defeating Germany, despite the fact that Stalin could be considered to have been a dictator comparable to Hitler.

As such, regardless of the politics with the current situation between the West and Russia right now, it would be hugely inappropriate to exclude Putin from such an event or from the official photographs of the dignitaries/heads of state.

Brilliant comment - by the time of D-Day the USSR had already started to turn the tide on the Eastern Front.

As for the hand behind The Queen as she descended the stairs - that showed a caring side to Obama - he was ready to help his more elderly colleague had she stumbled - signs of a level of caring we often don't see with at this level. How critical people would have been if the Queen had stumbled and the other men had let her fall - better to have signs of being prepared to help if necessary. It also showed tremendous respect for this lovely lady as they were prepared to step in and help if necessary.

Frankly I don't care if heads of state were there or not (unless they themselves served ie Queen Elizabeth etc) ..the day was about the men who were there on that day...

Great post - says it all really - the day was about those who fought and died that day 70 years ago and I hope those who died on all the other days of that dreadful war wherever they died.

 

[Tiggersk8]

Frankly I don't care if heads of state were there or not (unless they themselves served ie Queen Elizabeth etc) ..the day was about the men who were there on that day...

Thank you for one of the few sane postings I've read in here today. That local Doctor Omaha Beach Veteran you're talking about, was he featured in the NBC News Special hosted by Brian Williams shown earlier tonight/still to be shown on the West Coast? If so, what a wonderful gentleman. Obama is also interviewed towards the end of it and his Grandfather, while not a part of the First Waves on Normandy, did land there on D Day from my understanding of how he said about his Grandfather. He also said this is one of those days during his time as POTUS when he was wishing his Grandfather was alive and w/him today.

For those w/a chance to see this NBC News Special in the Western time zones, DO NOT MISS THIS!!! Also have Kleenex nearby.

I wish the CBC and our History channels were doing more. Sure the CBC showed the Ceremony in full this morning, but I was also expecting more tonight, as they have made excellent documentaries on D Day the last few years, but nothing tonight. Same w/our History Channel. Instead of the amazing movie and accompanying documentary they made for the 65th Anniversary of D Day and what happened on Juno Beach, what's on? Saving Private Ryan. Which is excellent of course, but shouldn't a Canadian History channel be showing Canadian D Day/Juno Beach stories today?

Sorry for the rant, but needed to get that off my chest. No offence to our US Members intended either up there. Just ticked off that once again our Canadian stories seem to be getting short shift yet again on the very channel that should be doing the exact opposite.

 

[Skippyboo]

I taped CNN this morning. When I got home to watch it - it was horrendous. They only showed the arrivals but never mention who was arriving. It was a joke.

 

[Warren]

Posts with no relevance to the Commemoration, or to the spirit of the Commemoration, have been removed along with any replies made to them.

Warren
British Forums moderator

 

[maria-olivia]

The really true Royal Veteran was there: HRH Jean Duke Jean of Luxembourg (92 years old) he was sitting on the second row.
Congratulations Your Royal Highness !

 

[Pranter]

...That local Doctor Omaha Beach Veteran you're talking about, was he featured in the NBC News Special hosted by Brian Williams shown earlier tonight...? If so, what a wonderful gentleman...

Yep that's him..he came home and became a doctor, delivered hundreds of babies! He's from a town an hour or so from me.

I wish you could of heard talk radio shows here the past few days, all of them talking about D-Day and about the contributions made by ALL the countries. They talked about the Canadians, Aussies, English, French, Americans, etc etc etc. One of them had an author on who has written books on this era, Victor Davis Hanson, he talked about the attributes of the allies.

I had the thought yesterday that when the allied countries came together look at what they accomplished...a shame they can't continue to do it.

 

[PetticoatLane]

I don't think any one head of state should have been considered more or less important than any other. Yes, Queen Elizabeth served during the war but in a very, very, minor capacity. You cannot genuinely say she was in the thick of things. She wasn't even in London during the Blitz when many British civilians did live 'in the thick of it'. Her husband on the other hand....

This should not have been about the heads of state (or future heads of state). Today was about those men and women who took part in the landings. Personally, I was offended that the British Daily Mail chose to make their headlines about the royal family (even though I adore the Queen, DofE, Charles & Camilla). I thought that was completely inappropriate.

Just an opinion of course.

QEII was the guest of honour yesterday. That's why she was last to arrive. Of course the most important people there were the veterans, but of the official guests, HM was was the guest of honour.

The Queen wasn't in London during the Blitz, but then few children were. Millions of children, up to the age of 18, were evacuated from British cities to the countryside for obvious reasons. Some parents kept their children with them for their own personal reasons, but the vast majority were not in cities during the bombing raids. Had the Queen been the daughter of a flower seller in the East End chances are she would not have been in London during the Blitz either.

Your downplaying of the role that women such as the then Princess Elizabeth played during the war is just so sad. Women couldn't fight on the frontline. The vast majority worked in factories, on farms, worked as nurses, as drivers, mechanics etc. They freed up men so they could be sent to do the actual fighting, something the Germans really refused to do, which played a part in their defeat.

The Queen couldn't have joined the men landing on Juno, Sword or Gold beaches if she had wanted to. That doesn't mean her service should be dismissed in the disrespectful way which you just did.

 

[Al_bina]

Royal Normandy |Blogs•Spletnik.ru

 

[MarNoe]

This is my favorite story pertaining to the D-Day commemoration. I say, old chap... well played...

Hero's welcome for runaway D-Day veteran - Telegraph

 

[roseroyal]

love this picture between Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/06/article-2650417-1E8750B200000578-183_964x671.jpg

I love this!

 

[Muhler]

The spirit of the old veterans is truly uplifting. Not least the veteran who eloped from the retirement home.

Here is a story about a veteran, who bummed Kate for kiss: Kate gets chatted up by 88-year-old war veteran | Royalista

And the pic in HQ: http://royalista.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/18.02470149-800x450_20140607104312.jpg

 

[ladongas]

Some very nice big pictures...

D-Day 70th Anniversary | MYROYALS &HOLLYWOOD FASHİON

There are several where Mathilde and Maxima are together, and they are both so lovely! And Maxima and Obama are really laughing over something or other. Anyway, nice pictures.

Notice the looks on the kids faces who are escorting the Dutch Royals. They look so proud to be holding hands with a king and a queen. Adorable...

 

[SElizabeth]

D-Day 70th Anniversary | MYROYALS &HOLLYWOOD FASHİON
Notice the looks on the kids faces who are escorting the Dutch Royals. They look so proud to be holding hands with a king and a queen. Adorable...

They do look a bit smitten don't they........they are so cute and Max looks really pleased with the little girl.

I love the pictures of Queens Max and Mathilda, they are such girly girls, having a great time together. And Queen Mathilda looks so chic and elegant. No comment on Queen Max, lolololo.
.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

The really true Royal Veteran was there: HRH Jean Duke Jean of Luxembourg (92 years old) he was sitting on the second row.
Congratulations Your Royal Highness !

Thank you for mentioning this venerable, often overlooked Royal gentleman. He played a truly heroic role in WWII, actively resisting the Nazis and personally fighting to liberate his tiny country from the invader. I have seen newsreel of Luxembourgers lifting him onto their shoulders after Liberation and carrying him through the streets.

It is very moving.

ETA: Queen Mathilde looked sooo stunning...what a class act the Belgians have as their queen!

 

[roseroyal]

D-Day 70th Anniversary | MYROYALS &HOLLYWOOD FASHİON

There are several where Mathilde and Maxima are together, and they are both so lovely! And Maxima and Obama are really laughing over something or other. Anyway, nice pictures.

Notice the looks on the kids faces who are escorting the Dutch Royals. They look so proud to be holding hands with a king and a queen. Adorable...

Love the ones with Maxima and President Obama.
And Catherine and the veterans.

 

[PetticoatLane]

I wonder why Prince Henrik didn't accompany Queen Margrethe? As a Frenchman, I would've thought it'd be right up his alley. Was he busy with another engagement?

 

[VictoriaB]

QEII was the guest of honour yesterday. That's why she was last to arrive...Your downplaying of the role that women such as the then Princess Elizabeth played during the war is just so sad...

Hi Petticoat Lane. I did not think my post did downplay the role of women. In fact I took particular pains to stress that the day should have been about the men and women who took part in the invasion. While I am aware that women were not with the allied troops who actually fought on the beaches that day, many went to France in the days that followed in their capacities as nurses, drivers and in other support roles. I have also not forgotten that women joined the French resistance and also served in occupied Europe with organisations such as the SOE effectively doing preparatory work for the invasion.

I agree with your comments about the children. You seem to think I was making a criticism. I wasn't, just stating a fact that the Queen was not living in London during the Blitz and was therefore not "in the thick of it".

According to the Imperial War Museum, Princess Elizabeth joined the ATS in February 1945. VE day was on 8 May 1945 and VJ Day on 1 September 1945, so, her wartime service was short. Again, not a criticism but a fact.

I acknowledge that Princess Elizabeth did "her bit" (not intended as a put down) but the simple fact is that because of her age, her gender and her position as her father's heir, that role was limited. That she did the absolute most that she could is commendable. That she spent a year arguing her way into the ATS says much about her belief in service. It also seems to fit with the wishes of her parents that they should share the same hardships and burdens as their people (to the extent that they could).

I have and had no wish to denigrate the Queen, I simply found the comment that she was "in the thick of it" and those like it to be a bit of an exaggeration.

 

[JessRulz]

Again, posts which went off on a tangent not related to the thread matter - the commemoration of the D-Day landings - have been removed.

JessRulz
TRF Admin