'Is this shade?': UK embassy 'commemorates' burning the White House [pic]; Update: UK Embassy apologizes

200 years ago, British forces overran militiamen defending Washington D.C. and set the White House ablaze. More here: http://t.co/kvaZQck6aF

— HISTORY (@HISTORY) August 22, 2014

Not something  you would expect British diplomats to CELEBRATE, but sending back the bust of Winston Churchill isn’t something you’d expect a U.S. President to do either.

Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/QIDBQTBmmL

— British Embassy Washington D.C. (@UKinUSA) August 24, 2014

Dudes. WTF? RT“@UKinUSA: Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/UUD0VmT6Tq”

— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) August 24, 2014

.@FBI @CIA RT @UKinUSA: Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/bIhCxXcP6C

— Champagne Boochie (@BionicBombshell) August 24, 2014

“@UKinUSA: Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/4UbZk498dR” < tact

— Emma Daniel (@huxley06) August 24, 2014

Good PD? #GI6007 “@UKinUSA: Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/u3vn93m2T7”

— Steven Curtis (@BAinDiplomacy) August 24, 2014

…or celebrating?

“@UKinUSA: Commemorating 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/vt7qgFMqb0”

— #Votein2020 ? (@jcamacho510) August 24, 2014

@UKinUSA hat tip for the sheer ballsiness of this post!

— Joanne Puchalik Tompkins (@tessajop) August 24, 2014

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https://twitter.com/FencingRam/status/503670183215763456

Is this shade? RT @UKinUSA: Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/pmEZtmmYnC

— April (@ReignOfApril) August 24, 2014

https://twitter.com/FilmLadd/status/503672578389843968

https://twitter.com/YossiGestetner/status/503671999450066946

https://twitter.com/jeffscottshow/status/503672072842014720

@UKinUSA What the hell? A commemoration?

— Niedermeyer's Dead Horse (@NDH_j_m_f) August 24, 2014

https://twitter.com/YossiGestetner/status/503677837925425152

We won. Let them have their sparklers. MT @UKinUSA: Commemorating 200th anniversary of burning the White House. pic.twitter.com/yTWkF6Qo3r

— Amelia (@AmeliaHammy) August 24, 2014

@AmeliaHammy We won…TWICE. @UKinUSA @Neal_Dewing

— Eric H. (@ericinva) August 24, 2014

U-S-A! U-S-A!

Update: UK Embassy apologizes

Apologies for earlier Tweet. We meant to mark an event in history & celebrate our strong friendship today http://t.co/gs3heJDMzt

— British Embassy Washington D.C. (@UKinUSA) August 25, 2014