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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has won a bid to suspend parliament, blocking an opposition attempt to topple his minority government. The governor general agreed to Mr Harper's request, unprecedented in the country, after talks. If the request had been rejected, he would have had to step down or face a confidence vote he was sure to lose. Opposition parties had called the vote for Monday, accusing the government of failing to shore up the economy. Acting head of state Michaelle Jean Governor General Michaelle Jean agreed to prorogue - or suspend - parliament until 26 January when the government...

To: The Citizens of the United States of America From: Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II In light of your immediate failure to financially manage yourselves and also, in recent years, your tendency to elect incompetent Presidents of the United States and therefore your inability to govern yourselves, We hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up ‘revocation’ in the Oxford English Dictionary.) Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy). Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will...

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has been stripped of his honorary British knighthood as a "mark of revulsion" following recent pre-election violence, the Foreign Office in London said today. Queen Elizabeth II has approved the annulment of the honour - bestowed on Mugabe by the former colonial power 14 years ago - on the recommendation of Foreign Secretary David Miliband. "This action has been taken as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided," "We can no longer justify an individual who is responsible...

President George W. Bush (R) walks with Queen Elizabeth, followed by his wife Laura (obscured) and Prince Philip in the St George's Hall, Windsor Castle, southern England June 15, 2008 President Bush speaks to the press following a meeting with Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson (L) and Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness following their meeting at Stormont Castle in Belfast, June 16, 2008. US president George W. Bush meets members of the PeacePlayers international Basketball Group at Loughview integrated primary school, as he ends his visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, Monday June 16, 2008. PeacePlayers International-Northern Ireland...

Queen Elizabeth goes mod - plugs into iPod 17 June 2005, 09:20 London - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has dipped into the royal purse to snap up an iPod, a report said on Friday. Britain's biggest-selling daily The Sun said the 79-year-old sovereign had bought a six-gigabyte silver model for 169 pounds (about R2 000). The pocket-sized digital music players can hold up to 10 000 downloaded songs. Queen Elizabeth's second son Prince Andrew, fourth in line to the throne, was reported to be behind the move, having bought his mother a mobile phone and taught her how to use...

In the spirit of recent articles about the Queen and Queens past (See, e.g., Queen Dismisses Linux (as the software for the royal family’s website), I give you: QUEEN ELIZABETH INVITES CARDINAL TO PREACH TO ROYAL FAMILY Historic Offer to Stay at Country Retreat HouseLONDON, (Zenit.org).- In a historic gesture, Queen Elizabeth has invited the Catholic primate of England and Wales to stay at the Sandringham country retreat house and to preach to the Royal Family.The invitation to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O´Connor marks a formal end to 500 years of antagonism and suspicion between the monarch as supreme governor of the ...

When Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Goddard Space Flight Center, they dropped in on mission control to listen to an exchange between British-born NASA astronaut C. Michael Foale and the three astronauts aboard the international space station, and later toured an exhibit with British astronaut Piers Sellers, who explained how a spacesuit's life-support system operates. The Washington Post reports that Prince Philip inquired, "What do you do about natural functions?" and "the astronaut gave a discreet answer."Not only this is the most unoriginal question the Prince could have thought to ask, but it is rather rude as well. No...

WASHINGTON — President Bush, a leader known for his informality, welcomed Queen Elizabeth II to the White House Monday with an uncharacteristic display of high pomp. "We did sort of have to convince him a little bit" to opt for the white-tie dinner, first Lady Laura Bush said Monday of her and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's efforts to talk Bush into hosting the most formal dinner the White House can offer. The British monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, are being greeted later Monday morning with a 21-gun salute and a parade by the U.S. Army's Old Guard Fife...

Americans got the royal treatment for 144 hours, give or take a few minutes. But it's all over. Queen Elizabeth II is gone, along with her beribboned hats, sensible pumps and kindly civility that commanded the attention of 700 dithering journalists, the White House and the citizenry itself. Our nation will never have a queen. But we liked this one just fine. A CNN/Opinion Research poll released yesterday found that eight of 10 of us favor the British monarch -- more than British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who garnered 70 percent, and Prince Charles at 62 percent. The survey of...

London - British newspapers were scathing on Tuesday about US President George W Bush's blundering welcome for Queen Elizabeth II, labelling him "Dumb Dubya" and saying he has the "gift for the gaffe". Bush messed up at a ceremonial welcome for the queen at the White House Monday when he spoke of a visit paid by Elizabeth to mark the 200th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from Britain "in 17 - in 1976". After the queen looked up at him from beneath her wide-brimmed black hat, he winked at her, before turning to the laughing audience and telling...

. President Bush met with Haiti's President Rene Preval in the Oval Office today. Transcript here. Vice President Cheney left today for a trip to the Middle East. First Lady Laura Bush accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to the Children's National Medical Center in Washington. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with British Foreign Secretary Margaret Becektt and Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih at the State Department. Tony Snow conducted the press conference this afternoon. After his remarks this morning, you may find the transcript interesting. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

If you have the tube one, or if you're surfing during commercials of the ball game..flick over to C-span 3..for the entry into the WH for the gala formal for the Queen..guests include Elizabeth Hallesback, and spouse ( but NOT Rosie ) David Gregory and spouse ( why, lawd? )and Henry Kissinger ( is he still alive ?) and Tony and Mrs. Snow....YIPPEE!!

The guest list for Monday night‘s state dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as released by the White House. The Countess Of Airlie, DCVO, DCVO, lady in waiting. Anne Armstrong, former U.S. ambassador to Great Britain, and James L. Armstrong (son). Sid R. Bass, president, Sid R. Bass Inc., and Mercedes Bass. Rep. John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, House minority leader, and Deborah Boehner. Calvin Borel, jockey, winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby, and Lisa Funk (guest). Miss Barbara Bush and Jay Blount (guest). Jeb Bush , former governor of Florida, and Columba Bush. Vice President Dick...

WASHINGTON, May 4 — 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. The White House is atwitter over the visit on Monday by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. This is the first visit by the queen since 1991, when Mr. Bush’s father was president....

President Bush met today with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the Oval Office. (Transcript) Later, the president hosted a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Rose Garden (Transcript) Vice President Dick Cheney welcomed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh to America and escorted the Queen on a tour of Jamestown, Virginia, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first English settlement. (Transcript) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice continued her meeting with the Iraq conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheik in Egypt. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates traveled to Fort...

RICHMOND, United States (AFP) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II headed Thursday for a rare state visit to the United States, to mark the 400th anniversary of an English settlement that laid the foundations of history's greatest superpower. After arriving on a chartered British Airways jet, Elizabeth was due to start her six-day trip in the Virginia capital Richmond and address the state's legislature, which is America's oldest representative body. Virginians from Governor Tim Kaine down brushed up on royal protocol as they prepared to greet the British queen during a walkabout and musical concert at the grounds of the newly...

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, stepped off a chartered British Airways airplane just after 3 p.m. Thursday in Richmond, Va., signaling the beginning of a six-day American trip. It is her first visit to the United States in 16 years. The queen stopped at the end of a red carpet while both British and American National Anthems were played. Her motorcade left shortly afterward. On Thursday evening, she was expected to take a horse-drawn carriage through Colonial Williamsburg. And while the queen represents a monarchy the United States went to some trouble to get rid of, her...

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Terry O'Neill was just a wee lad from Liverpool the last time he got within a few feet of Queen Elizabeth II. Years later, the burly owner of the Beatles-influenced Penny Lane Pub in Richmond plans to have a second brush with English royalty on Thursday -- with a little help from his friends. O'Neill and his wife, Rose, were among thousands of people expected to jam Capitol Square for a glimpse of the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, when the royals arrive to mark the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown colony. "I left England...

A U.S. Marine helicopter pilot who helped save a British marine?s life in Iraq was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross on Wednesday, the first time an American has received the honor since World War II. In a Buckingham Palace ceremony in London, Queen Elizabeth II pinned the medal on U.S. Marine Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr. He has served as the weapons and tactics instructor with the British 847 Naval Air Squadron since 2005 as part of an exchange program between the two countries. His actions during a deployment last year to the British area of operations in Iraq,...