Britain Not Amused, Romania Is Told
Britain is not amused over publication in Romania of a fabricated laudatory birthday message from Queen Elizabeth II to President Nicolae Ceausescu.
The message, printed in Lumea, a Foreign Ministry international affairs weekly widely read by diplomats in Bucharest, quoted the queen as saying of Ceausescu, “We in Great Britain are impressed with the determination with which you affirm your independence and the consistent way in which Romania has maintained a distinct position and plays an important role in world affairs.”
It added, in a fillip to the Ceausescu personality cult that pervades Romania: “You personally, Mr. President, are a statesman of world stature with widely recognized excellence, experience and influence.”
The British Foreign Office said the queen said no such thing about Ceausescu, or anything else in the message, and Foreign Office Minister David Mellor summoned Romanian Ambassador Stan Soare to his office Friday to make it clear how dimly Britain viewed the affair.
“Mr. Mellor told Mr. Soare the message was false and that the government considers it an insult to her majesty,” the government spokesman said Saturday.
The phony message apparently was aimed at making sure Ceausescu was suitably honored for his 70th birthday on Tuesday, a diplomat said.
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