WASHINGTON, 9 May 2007 — When you’ve just made it sound like Queen Elizabeth is more than 200 years old, there may be a few ways of recovering from the gaffe.

But turning to her and giving her a sly wink is probably not included in any book of royal etiquette.

Bush fumbled his lines at a ceremonial welcome for the queen at the White House on Monday when he spoke of a visit paid by Elizabeth to mark the 200th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from Britain “in 17....... in 1976”.

Turning back, Bush prompted the queen to laugh as he said with a smile: “She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.”

Ripples of laughter echoed around those gathered at the event and the president laughed off the mistake and continued his speech. Peering at him from beneath her hat, she did not appear to share the general merriment. Reporters present joked that at least he didn’t try to credit her with signing the Magna Carta.

Yesterday, British newspapers were contemptuous over US President George W. Bush’s blundering welcome for Queen Elizabeth, saying he has the “gift for the gaffe”.

In an editorial, Britain’s Daily Mirror dubbed Bush “Dumb Dubya,” adding: “Her Majesty’s withering look spoke volumes, giving the watching public and the president a very clear message.”

It’s biggest-selling tabloid, the Sun, accused Bush of making “one of his great verbal blunders” while The Times headlined its piece: “Oops, he did it again.”

The Guardian noted: “The president yesterday once again demonstrated his gift for the gaffe, injecting an unintended sense of levity into the White House welcome for the queen.”

What the press did not pick up on was a more subtle, and serious, faux pas. During Monday’s state dinner, instead of the traditional clinking of wine glasses after the toast, Bush — a recovering alcoholic who is traditionally given water in his wine glass — put his glass down and then sat down before the queen was seated. This left the queen grappling with how to cope. Still standing, she quickly took a sip of wine and then sat down.

This was not Bush’s first slip in front of the British monarch.

She last visited the White House in 1991, when Bush’s father and mother played host to their own state dinner for the queen. By several different accounts, including Bush’s own, Barbara Bush told the queen that she had seated her son far away from Her Majesty, because he was wearing cowboy boots with his tuxedo, and for fear he might make a wisecrack.

Then, to his mother’s horror, he did, telling the queen that he was the family’s black sheep and asking, “Who’s yours?” The queen, apparently not amused, ignored his question.

The New York Times’ premonition prior to the royal visit was correct: “How does George W Bush, a towel-snapping Texan who puts his feet on the coffee table, drinks water straight from the bottle and was once caught on tape talking with food in his mouth, prepare for a state dinner with the queen?”

President Bush is the leader who earlier this year at the G8 meeting in Russia, greeted Prime Minister Tony Blair with: “Yo, Blair. How are you doing?” At the same event, he also gave an impromptu backrub to a startled German Chancellor Angela Merkel. An act, this reporter is relieved to note; he did not try on the queen of England.

The day of high pomp and pageantry was an uplifting event for a White House at a time when Bush’s approval rating has dropped near all-time lows and he battles a Democratic Congress over funding for the unpopular Iraq war.