Lovestruck Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi embarrassed himself, and the Italian nation, during the recent G20 summit in London.
During a photoshoot in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, while the 18 Prime Ministers and Presidents, one Chancellor and one King had their photo taken with Queen Elizabeth II, Berlusconi, who was drooling over Barack Obama, could be heard shouting: 'Meester Obama! Meester Obama!' even though the U.S. President was close to him.
This obviously annoyed the Queen who, with almost 60 years of experience in attending functions such as this, rarely puts a foot wrong and so rarely embarrasses her nation in the way that certain Presidents have done at times.
Flinging her arm in the air, the Queen turns to Obama and says angrily: 'What is it? Why does he have to shout? Why!'
She then turns on her heel and walks off disapprovingly.
Thanks to this, the Queen has become a YouTube hit, and the incident was reported by embarrassed Italian journalists on the front of Italian national newspapers.
It may be lucky for Mr Berlusconi that nowadays Britain has a Constitutional, rather than Absolute, Monarchy, or it may have been an overnight stay in the Tower followed by a brutal beheading the next morning...
'We are NOT offended': Palace tries to smooth over Queen's 'Why does that man have to shout' jibe at Berlusconi
By Mail Foreign Service and Nick Pisa
05th April 2009
Daily Mail
The Queen has become a worldwide hit on YouTube after she was caught on camera reprimanding the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for shouting.
The footage was taken at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday after an official group photograph to mark the opening of the G20 summit.
Berlusconi can clearly be heard shouting: 'Meester Obama! Meester Obama!' even though the U.S. President is close to him.
Enlarge
The photograph that G20 leaders were posing for - taken just seconds before Mr Berlusconi made his gaffe
See video of the Queen chastising Mr Berlusconi here 'We are NOT offended': Palace tries to smooth over Queen's 'Why does that man have to shout' jibe at Berlusconi | Mail Online
A clearly embarrassed Obama tries to quieten the over-excited Italian by turning to him and responding softly: 'Mr Berlusconi?'
Flinging her arm in the air, the Queen turns to the President and exclaims angrily: 'What is it? Why does he have to shout? Why!'
She then turns on her heel and walks off disapprovingly.
Buckingham Palace attempted to play down the incident yesterday. A spokesman said: 'It was a light-hearted, jovial moment marked by laughter. There were no gaffes and no offence was taken by anyone.'
Enlarge
Berlusconi, top right, glances down at the Queen during the photoshoot. His proximity to Obama begs the question why he had to shout 'Mr Obama'
Berlusconi, 72, Italy's longest-serving prime minister, has been tarred with allegations of cronyism and corruption and is equally well known for his gaffes and schoolboy sense of humour.
Last year he caused outrage by describing President Obama as 'suntanned'.
More recently he claimed that his response to the global economic crisis was different to that of Mr Obama because 'I'm paler'.
The footage was shot on as part of the official G20 pool film and then distributed to the world's media.
But sharp-eared Italian journalists heard the distinct tones of Berlusconi as he shouted out towards Mr Obama and noticed the Queen's disapproving body language.
Within minutes the footage was posted on Italy's YouTube site as well as that of national newspapers including La Repubblica and Corriere Della Sera getting hundreds of hits.
One comment on YouTube said: 'Oh my goodness - where are his manners. The Queen should lock him in the Tower.'
Enlarge
The photoshoot is over and the world leaders begin to relax and move from their seats
Enlarge
At this point Berlusconi shouts 'Mr Obama' as the Queen rises from her seat
Enlarge
Exasperated, she gestures with her hand towards the Italian PM and asks 'What is it? Why does he have to shout?'
Another comment said: 'It's what the world has come to expect from Silvio - and he now wants to be President of Italy. God help us.'
As well as being popular on the web, the Queen's disapproval of Berlusconi was seized upon by newspapers back in Italy who put the story on their front pages.
Corriere Della Sera had a cartoon on its front page showing the Queen with her fingers in her ears and the other G20 leaders looking startled as Berlusconi shouted out. The caption read:'The Voice of Italy'.
German MEP Martin Schulz who Berlusconi referred to as a 'concentration camp guard'
Corriere Della Sera's editorial described Wednesday's incident as an 'embarrassment' for Italy.
Meanwhile, another cartoon in La Repubblica shows two people discussing the incident with one saying:'Berlusconi's capacity for making a spectacle is unreachable.'
The other replies: 'Here in Italy we call it charisma.'
Its article read: 'Yesterday on the web there was nothing more clicked, nothing more talked of and it had nothing to do with international politics.'
At a photoshoot of world leaders at the G20 meeting in London yesterday Berlusconi managed to get noticed by not appearing in it.
First the Canadian PM disappeared for a 'bathroom break' and by the time he was back Berlusconi had disappeared.
Mr Berlusconi, 72, is well known for his gaffes and schoolboy jokes on the world's stage.
He has also caused outrage by referring to German MEP Martin Schulz as a 'concentration camp guard'.
At the start of Italy's EU presidency in July 2003 he said: 'I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps - I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo (guard chosen from among the prisoners) - you would be perfect.'
Enlarge
Web sensation: Italian newpaper Corriere Della Sere's front page
Enlarge
Gaffe: 'Silvio, the Queen and Mister Obama', says the La Republica headline
He offended the Chinese in 2006 at a rally during the 2006 election campaign by saying: 'Read The Black Book of Communism and you will discover that in the China of Mao, they did not eat children, but had them boiled to fertilise the fields.'
And while at the New York stock exchange he managed the following comment: 'Italy is now a great country to invest in... today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries... superb girls.'
And Mr Berlusconi boasted that he had used all his 'playboy charms' to win over Finland's female prime minister to convince her to set up the EU Food Safety Authority in Parma, Italy.
Me and my mates: Berlusconi squeezes in-between Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as they pose at the G20 summit yesterday
His practical jokes have also fallen foul of his long suffering wife Veronica - he was forced to make a public apology to her after he told two stunning TV starlets that he 'would marry them' if he wasn't already married.
Fabio Evangelisti, of Italy's anti sleaze party Italia dei Valori (Italy of Values), said: 'At the G20, Italy has made its umpteenth embarrassing international impression.
'Our country does not deserve a Prime Minister who shouts out and earns the rebuke of the Queen - he can behave like that when he is with his songwriting friend [Mariano] Apicella or with his TV friends.
'He should not behave like that when he is representing Italy. It is not right that he should discredit our image in the world in this way.'
Enlarge
Where's Silvio? In the top picture, Canadian PM Stephen Harper is missing after taking a 'bathroom break'. The gap is clearly visible on the middle right. But Berlusconi can be seen in the back row behind Obama. However moments later the Canadian PM is back but Berlusconi has gone AWOL
Enlarge
dailymail.co.uk
During a photoshoot in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, while the 18 Prime Ministers and Presidents, one Chancellor and one King had their photo taken with Queen Elizabeth II, Berlusconi, who was drooling over Barack Obama, could be heard shouting: 'Meester Obama! Meester Obama!' even though the U.S. President was close to him.
This obviously annoyed the Queen who, with almost 60 years of experience in attending functions such as this, rarely puts a foot wrong and so rarely embarrasses her nation in the way that certain Presidents have done at times.
Flinging her arm in the air, the Queen turns to Obama and says angrily: 'What is it? Why does he have to shout? Why!'
She then turns on her heel and walks off disapprovingly.
Thanks to this, the Queen has become a YouTube hit, and the incident was reported by embarrassed Italian journalists on the front of Italian national newspapers.
It may be lucky for Mr Berlusconi that nowadays Britain has a Constitutional, rather than Absolute, Monarchy, or it may have been an overnight stay in the Tower followed by a brutal beheading the next morning...
'We are NOT offended': Palace tries to smooth over Queen's 'Why does that man have to shout' jibe at Berlusconi
By Mail Foreign Service and Nick Pisa
05th April 2009
Daily Mail
The Queen has become a worldwide hit on YouTube after she was caught on camera reprimanding the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for shouting.
The footage was taken at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday after an official group photograph to mark the opening of the G20 summit.
Berlusconi can clearly be heard shouting: 'Meester Obama! Meester Obama!' even though the U.S. President is close to him.
Enlarge
The photograph that G20 leaders were posing for - taken just seconds before Mr Berlusconi made his gaffe
See video of the Queen chastising Mr Berlusconi here 'We are NOT offended': Palace tries to smooth over Queen's 'Why does that man have to shout' jibe at Berlusconi | Mail Online
A clearly embarrassed Obama tries to quieten the over-excited Italian by turning to him and responding softly: 'Mr Berlusconi?'
Flinging her arm in the air, the Queen turns to the President and exclaims angrily: 'What is it? Why does he have to shout? Why!'
She then turns on her heel and walks off disapprovingly.
Buckingham Palace attempted to play down the incident yesterday. A spokesman said: 'It was a light-hearted, jovial moment marked by laughter. There were no gaffes and no offence was taken by anyone.'
Enlarge
Berlusconi, top right, glances down at the Queen during the photoshoot. His proximity to Obama begs the question why he had to shout 'Mr Obama'
Berlusconi, 72, Italy's longest-serving prime minister, has been tarred with allegations of cronyism and corruption and is equally well known for his gaffes and schoolboy sense of humour.
Last year he caused outrage by describing President Obama as 'suntanned'.
More recently he claimed that his response to the global economic crisis was different to that of Mr Obama because 'I'm paler'.
The footage was shot on as part of the official G20 pool film and then distributed to the world's media.
But sharp-eared Italian journalists heard the distinct tones of Berlusconi as he shouted out towards Mr Obama and noticed the Queen's disapproving body language.
Within minutes the footage was posted on Italy's YouTube site as well as that of national newspapers including La Repubblica and Corriere Della Sera getting hundreds of hits.
One comment on YouTube said: 'Oh my goodness - where are his manners. The Queen should lock him in the Tower.'
Enlarge
The photoshoot is over and the world leaders begin to relax and move from their seats
Enlarge
At this point Berlusconi shouts 'Mr Obama' as the Queen rises from her seat
Enlarge
Exasperated, she gestures with her hand towards the Italian PM and asks 'What is it? Why does he have to shout?'Another comment said: 'It's what the world has come to expect from Silvio - and he now wants to be President of Italy. God help us.'
As well as being popular on the web, the Queen's disapproval of Berlusconi was seized upon by newspapers back in Italy who put the story on their front pages.
Corriere Della Sera had a cartoon on its front page showing the Queen with her fingers in her ears and the other G20 leaders looking startled as Berlusconi shouted out. The caption read:'The Voice of Italy'.
German MEP Martin Schulz who Berlusconi referred to as a 'concentration camp guard'
Corriere Della Sera's editorial described Wednesday's incident as an 'embarrassment' for Italy.
Meanwhile, another cartoon in La Repubblica shows two people discussing the incident with one saying:'Berlusconi's capacity for making a spectacle is unreachable.'
The other replies: 'Here in Italy we call it charisma.'
Its article read: 'Yesterday on the web there was nothing more clicked, nothing more talked of and it had nothing to do with international politics.'
At a photoshoot of world leaders at the G20 meeting in London yesterday Berlusconi managed to get noticed by not appearing in it.
First the Canadian PM disappeared for a 'bathroom break' and by the time he was back Berlusconi had disappeared.
Mr Berlusconi, 72, is well known for his gaffes and schoolboy jokes on the world's stage.
He has also caused outrage by referring to German MEP Martin Schulz as a 'concentration camp guard'.
At the start of Italy's EU presidency in July 2003 he said: 'I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps - I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo (guard chosen from among the prisoners) - you would be perfect.'
Enlarge
Web sensation: Italian newpaper Corriere Della Sere's front page
Enlarge
Gaffe: 'Silvio, the Queen and Mister Obama', says the La Republica headlineHe offended the Chinese in 2006 at a rally during the 2006 election campaign by saying: 'Read The Black Book of Communism and you will discover that in the China of Mao, they did not eat children, but had them boiled to fertilise the fields.'
And while at the New York stock exchange he managed the following comment: 'Italy is now a great country to invest in... today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries... superb girls.'
And Mr Berlusconi boasted that he had used all his 'playboy charms' to win over Finland's female prime minister to convince her to set up the EU Food Safety Authority in Parma, Italy.
Me and my mates: Berlusconi squeezes in-between Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as they pose at the G20 summit yesterday
His practical jokes have also fallen foul of his long suffering wife Veronica - he was forced to make a public apology to her after he told two stunning TV starlets that he 'would marry them' if he wasn't already married.
Fabio Evangelisti, of Italy's anti sleaze party Italia dei Valori (Italy of Values), said: 'At the G20, Italy has made its umpteenth embarrassing international impression.
'Our country does not deserve a Prime Minister who shouts out and earns the rebuke of the Queen - he can behave like that when he is with his songwriting friend [Mariano] Apicella or with his TV friends.
'He should not behave like that when he is representing Italy. It is not right that he should discredit our image in the world in this way.'
Enlarge
Where's Silvio? In the top picture, Canadian PM Stephen Harper is missing after taking a 'bathroom break'. The gap is clearly visible on the middle right. But Berlusconi can be seen in the back row behind Obama. However moments later the Canadian PM is back but Berlusconi has gone AWOLEnlarge
dailymail.co.uk
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