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THE QUEEN OR PRESIDENT BUSH
COULD SEND A MESSAGE TO YOU
President George W. Bush congratulates United States citizens celebrating
their 80th birthdays, but British octogenarians have to survive 20 years
more before they qualify to receive a message from their Queen (who is an
octogenarian herself), unless their 60th (diamond) wedding anniversary
occurs earlier.
The President's Greetings Office is also happy to send messages to mark
"important events" such as a wedding, arrival of a baby (provided the birth
occurred during the George W. Bush Administration); an Eagle Scout Award or
a Girl Scout Gold Award, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or equivalent occasion, and a
50th (golden) wedding anniversary.
The Queen used to send a message to people who had a multiple birth of at
least three children, but that event occurs so often these days that she no
longer does so.
It's easier than you may think to arrange for the President or the Queen
to send a message to yourself or one of your friends with the necessary
qualifications.
"The White House Greetings Office handles as many requests as possible,
in accordance with a set of long-standing guidelines," says the presidential
website. "Please submit greeting requests by FAX, mail, or web mail."
Citizens of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or any other
country of which Queen Elizabeth II is head of state can receive a message
from Her Majesty just as easily. The UK Citizens' Advice Bureau lists this
routine:
For birthdays, the Department for Work and
Pensions (DWP) arranges for a message to be sent to anyone of the
appropriate age who is receiving a retirement pension, Pension Credit or
income support.An officer from the local
social security office will visit to confirm the person's age and will
then pass the information to Buckingham Palace, if the person has no
objection. Alternatively, an application form can be obtained directly
from Buckingham Palace.
For wedding anniversaries, an application form
can be obtained directly from Buckingham Palace.
Application forms can be obtained by writing or
telephoning The Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace and should be
returned, no sooner than three weeks in advance of the celebration date,
to The Anniversaries Office, Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA. Tel:
020 7930 48320
MESSAGE DELIGHTS UNCLE CHARLIE
My crotchety Uncle Charlie was oddly jubilant the day
I called to wish him a Happy 85th Birthday. "You'll never guess who I got a
card from," he gloated.As it happened, I
knew. I had arranged for the president of the United States to send Charlie
a personal birthday card. But I wasn't about to spoil Charlie's fun by
telling him that I was responsible for his sudden burst of importance.
Up until this birthday card from then-President
Clinton, Charlie's only claim to political fame was shaking hands once with
a Florida Congressman who later was indicted for taking bribes. To Charlie,
the guy was and would always be "Patriot of the Twentieth Century" - all
because of a handshake.
- From U.S. humorist Frank Kaiser's hilarious
Suddenly Senior newsletter. We can only hope that Uncle Charlie isn't one of
Frank Kaiser's million readers. |
Former US President George H W Bush celebrated his 80th birthday on June 13
by making a tandem parachute jump in his home state of Texas. He had planned
to skydive alone, but officials decided high winds and low clouds made
conditions too dangerous for him to make a solo jump. Instead, he was
harnessed to US Army Golden Knight Sgt. Bryan Schnell.
Did the White House
Greetings Office send him a birthday message from his son?
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Story first posted
August 2004 |
Copyright © 2004
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Eric
Shackle
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