Charles to attend D-Day event

Source: Agencies | June 3, 2009, Wednesday |

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BRITAIN'S Prince Charles will attend a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings after French officials failed to invite Queen Elizabeth, causing a brief diplomatic spat.

A spokeswoman for Charles confirmed he would attend the June 6 commemoration as a guest of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. United States President Barack Obama will also attend the anniversary.

"Prince Charles contacted the queen and said it might be a good idea if someone from the royal family went along and he proposed himself,?a spokeswoman said.

"He has received an invitation from President Sarkozy and will most definitely be attending.?

The ceremony in northern France commemorates the 1944 invasion by American, British and Commonwealth troops that broke Germany's hold on France during World War II.

The event is traditionally attended by Queen Elizabeth ?she went to both the 50th and the 60th commemorations ?but this year France failed to invite the monarch.

Last week, France denied it had snubbed her, saying the ceremony was a Franco-American affair and there was no particular protocol that required the queen to be invited.

Some 73,000 US troops and 83,000 British, Canadian and Commonwealth forces landed in France on June 6, 1944 in the largest amphibious attack in history. The war ended the year after.

World

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Charles to attend D-Day event

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