Quayle Not Invited to Thatcher Dinner but ‘It Was Not a Slight’

Vice President-elect Dan Quayle was not invited to the White House state dinner for British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher but “it was not a slight in any way,” a spokeswoman for First Lady Nancy Reagan said today.

Press Secretary Elaine Crispen said that invitations to the state dinner, to be held Wednesday night, were mailed about a month ago--well before the election--and that no exceptions to invitation policy were made so the Indiana senator could attend.

Crispen said suggested invitations to state dinners are forwarded to the White House social secretary from several quarters, including the State Department, the National Security Council and the White House.

At a typical state dinner, she said, there will be three members of the Senate and three members of the House among the 126 guests, along with various diplomats, business executives, artists, scientists, musicians and others.

She said that Quayle had been to a state dinner in 1982 but that under the rotation of three senators per dinner--there are nine such events a year--his next invitation would still have been a long time coming.