john manning

No palace parade for Bush as Blair gets
cold feet
By Tim Walker
From The Telegraph (UK), 10/19/03:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/19/nbush19.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/10/19/ixnewstop.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=185973


Plans for the Queen and George W Bush to
make a triumphant procession
along the Mall during the president's state
visit next month have been
abandoned because of fears of anti-war
protests.

The decision, taken by Downing Street after
consultations with
Buckingham Palace, the White House and
Scotland Yard, has disappointed
the president and his senior aides.

The procession is traditionally the public
high point of a state
visit.

A senior Palace official said yesterday
that detailed plans had been
made.

"But Downing Street, anxious about possible
anti-war protests from the
start, has now decided to pull the plug on
it," said the official.

"We are liaising with the White House and
they have made no attempt to
hide their disappointment. They saw it,
obviously, as a great photo
opportunity."

President Bush's trip is the first full
state visit of an American
president since the Queen came to the
throne 52 years ago.

He will travel by helicopter to avoid
protesters who line road routes.

Other proposed events have also been
curtailed or cancelled, and he
will not address Parliament because of
fears of a boycott by MPs.