But Nixon’s actions happened before the normalization of relations, while Buffalo Bill/Queen Victoria thing happened over 100 years after the Treaty of Paris, so I don’t think it’s quite the same thing.
Does the Queen even grant assent in person any more? I thought most acts of parliament were assented to by Lords Commissioners in the name of the Queen.
I guess I know a little more about all those “Save the Wales” bumperstickers, now. 
The British may have signed the treaty of Paris, but they did a poor job of living up to it. Between 1803 and 1812, over ten thousand American citizens were kidnapped and forced to work on British ships. The British were forming military alliances with Tecumseh and giving weapons to other violent native american resistance, outright attacking of US ships as well as blatantly stealing others. Yes, the US declared war, but the ground war was fought entirely on American side of the Atlantic, and started with the British occupation of the Michigan territory.
The point is simply this - relations with Britian, while formalized, were quite strained. The British never respected the US, and clearly never intended to allow the US to last long as a soverign entity.
The moment that Queen Victoria bowed to the star spangled banner really demonstrated the end to all of that in a fundamental way. It was an unforced and unrequested gesture; she did it entirely of her own volition. It wasn’t at a state dinner with a bunch of diplomats, it was in front of the most unruly, obnoxious, ill mannered and **definitively American ** gang of hooligans that has ever trod the face of the planet. In effect, it was Britian embracing the United States. Ever since we have always been the closest of allies. That’s why I said “for many this was the moment England truly recognized the US.”
Now that we’ve recognised you and everything - can we play you at rugby? We need to beat somebody!
Sure, just give us a year to teach LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper, Shaun Alexander, Ray Lewis, Jason Taylor, etc. the rules and pick up some strategy.
Then watch us whip your butts back across the Atlantic.
either yank christian names have become even sillier than usual or your spell checker is donald ducked!
Hmmm…
[Tinfoil hat on]Therefore, Delaware is still legally a British colony!!! And where is it all the big corporations are chartered? DELAWARE!!! Thus placing them under British, not American law!!! Yes, Elizabeth is still looking out for all her Freemason friends!!!
Therefore, I don’t have to pay income tax.[/tinfoil hat off]
(Oh, wait. The Preliminary Articles of Peace do mention Delaware. Guess I’d better get on with those tax forms after all.)
What’s odd about Jason Taylor, Ray Lewis and Shaun Alexander? Maybe you’re still in shock from having your butts kicked around the block by France. Keeping that in mind, maybe we don’t need those guys. We could probably teach some 12 year old girls the rules and have them go out there knock the English team around.
Yank child-naming is a very creative thing. Many parents here do not bow to tradition at all. Neurotik spelled them all accurately. Those fellows’ mothers did not spell them traditionally.
Those names are fine - but the other ones? Mad as a box of frogs.
You are of course aware that you’re not allowed to wear a suit of armour when you play rugby?
In any case our football spectators could wipe the floor with that lot.