US/UK: US admits queen's birthday blunder

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37516414/ns/politics/

WASHINGTON - But will she be amused?

The State Department has conceded committing a diplomatic faux pas by sending birthday greetings to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II a week early.

Spokesman P.J. Crowley allowed that a congratulatory message from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sent Friday on what the department thought was the eve of the queen's official birthday had been premature.

Does nobody at the State Department have a telephone or a computer with internet access?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37516414/ns/politics/

Does nobody at the State Department have a telephone or a computer with internet access?

As with most government offices that I have worked in they may have internet but would have gotten the result as 'This webpage has been blocked by websense'.   Besides it's not her real birthday anyway.

Maybe they were worried about the volcano starting up again?   

Besides it's not her real birthday anyway.

Aw, that just sounds mean.  I bet she'd cry if you said that to her in person. 

Why wouldn't this be on an automatic reminder?

Why wouldn't this be on an automatic reminder?

It sounds like that while her actual birthday is April 21, but she celebrates a second birthday on a day in June that changes.  I think that's what they're trying to say below:

The queen's actual birthday is on April 21, but she celebrates a second, so-called official birthday, on a Saturday in June decided by the government — this year on June 12. The tradition of celebrating two birthdays began under King Edward VII, who was born in November but wanted his birthday parade to take place in summer weather.