Comments on: Gigantic Americans tower over shrunken British royal family!

By: hysperia

hysperia — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Well they’re OLD. That point has already been made, but, they’re OLD.

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:56:26 +0000

It can’t just be camera angles, can it? But this is indeed a very funny picture!

By: Indyanna

Indyanna — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:28:52 +0000

This was understood as far back as the Seven Years War. Those maize-eating colonials shot up like rockets, while their metropolitan cousins shriveled away like grasshoppers. George Washington in his ’40s could dominate a room, whereas his only slightly-older Revolutionary adversaries were already hunching over. I think F.J. Turner said something about this…

By: Erica

Erica — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:49:42 +0000

@Rose — I laughed quite hard at that. Prince Phillip NEVER gets noticed.

@Mamie — Even if he’s standing far enough back from Pres. Obama that perspective is confusing Prince Phillip’s height, he’s standing almost right next to Mrs. Obama and looks shorter than her! I think he may actually be bending over slightly, sort of a “am I supposed to be getting into this picture” pose. One leg’s further forward than the other, like he’s walking/edging forward.

The Queen, however, is just short

By: Mamie

Mamie — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:11:35 +0000

Hmm. According to their bios, Barack Obama is 6’1.5″ and Prince Phillip is 6’2″. Is the camera playing tricks? How far back is Phillip standing?

By: Historiann

Historiann — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:46:33 +0000

No nationalism, and I believe you about HM EII. My point was more the contrast, plus Janice’s point about time, the avenger.

By: Digger

Digger — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:43:06 +0000

What GayProf said. Her Majesty is pure steel.

By: GayProf

GayProf — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:31:13 +0000

Don’t let the Queen’s diminutive stature fool you — She’ll cut you if you get in her way.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:40:11 +0000

I do hope I’m not detecting some form of nationalistic jeering here! The Obamas are young, athletic, handsome and riding on a wave of popular adoration. The Windsors have a combined age of 1,563; get most of their exercise through waving (in the Queen’s case) and finding Asian people to make ill-advised comments about (in Philip’s case); are fairly striking for products of centuries of in-breeding; and are regarded with a mixture of disdain, bemusement and outright hatred by the British public. Gordon and Sarah Brown would match up to the Yanks a little better — Gordon used to play rugby, after all!

By: Janice

Janice — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:38:38 +0000

Though, in their day, Elizabeth and Philip were both the picture of fitness and verve, both accomplished equestrians and hardy outdoors-types. Time is merciless!