queen visit to us

Tracing Queen Elizabeth’s steps through the U.S.

By Danielle Paquette | Sep 10, 2022

During her seven-decade reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited more than two dozen cities across the United States. She chatted with Girl Scouts, football players, presidents and Frank Sinatra . She cheered on race horses in Kentucky. She requested a ham sandwich with the crust removed in Texas. She sported a tweed skirt-suit in Yosemite National Park.

Wherever England’s longest-serving monarch went, photographers followed, capturing generations of Americans in the throes of Royal fever (and more than a few signature handbags ).

Oct. 17, 1957 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II heads to the White House as crowd's line Washington streets to see the royal monarch.

Oct. 18, 1957 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II accepts a doll for Princess Anne from 7-year-old Pamela Springmann during a visit at Children's Hospital.

Queen Elizabeth II and Vice President Richard Nixon tilt their heads for a better view of the oil paintings on the interior of the Capitol dome during a tour.

Oct. 19, 1957 | College Park, Md.

Co-captains of North Carolina and Maryland meet Queen Elizabeth II before the start of a game.

Oct. 21, 1957 | New York

Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a mink stole, and Prince Philip, standing next to a viewing telescope, view New York City from the observatory roof of the Empire State Building. The Queen said, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Queen Elizabeth II, in a plastic domed car, rides up lower Broadway through a shower of ticker tape and confetti during procession to City Hall.

Queen Elizabeth II addresses the United Nations General Assembly.

Her Majesty kicked off a seven-city tour of the nation’s east in 1976 with a stop in Philadelphia, where she unveiled a gift for the City of Brotherly Love: a Bicentennial Bell to celebrate 200 years of American independence from English rule. (The bell remains in storage .)

July 7, 1976 | Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip walk down the ramp of their aircraft near Washington.

July 7, 1976 | Philadelphia

Queen Elizabeth II is greeted by the Girl Scouts of America.

July 8, 1976 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the U.S. Capitol.

On her New York leg, Elizabeth was spotted squeezing through city throngs, underscoring the lighter security protocols of yesteryear.

July 10, 1976 | New York

Thousands surround Queen Elizabeth II as she walks from the Federal Building up Wall Street to Trinity Church with Mayor Abraham Beame.

J Walter Green

July 10, 1976 | Charlottesville, Va.

Queen Elizabeth II tours Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home.

July 11, 1976 | Boston

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to spectators below from the balcony of the Old State House before the Queen descended to street level to address the crowd. The location is the site of the Boston massacre, an event which led to the Revolutionary War.

Elizabeth returned in 1983 for a trek through the West Coast. She visited a Southern California retirement home, led a champagne toast with then-president Ronald Reagan and absorbed the mountain views at Yosemite National Park.

Feb. 26, 1983 | San Diego

Queen Elizabeth II reviews the U.S. Marine Corps honor guard as she arrives for a State visit.

Feb. 28, 1983 | Sierra Madre

Queen Elizabeth II shares a smile with 97-year-old Sibyl Jones-Bateman after the monarch was presented with a bouquet during tour of the British Home retirement community near Los Angeles.

March 3, 1983 | San Francisco

President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II raise their glasses in a toast during a state dinner at the M. H. de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.

Ed Reinke/AP

March 5, 1983 | Yosemite, Calif.

Park superintendent Bob Binnewies points out highlights from Inspiration Point to Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Yosemite National Park.

The queen, a horse racing enthusiast, landed in Kentucky five times between 1984 and 2007, according to the Courier-Journal . She was known to turn up at horse farms, admiring the mares and foals.

May 23, 1986 | Versailles, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II puts out her hand to her filly foal by the mare Christchurch and Alydar during a visit to Lane's End Farm.

May 27, 1986 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II exchanges pleasantries with a line of Fayette County (Ky.) and Kentucky State Troopers on the tarmac as prepares to depart following a five-day visit.

Amy Sancetta/Associated Press

May 26, 1989 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II is welcomed by a child upon her arrival during a private visit to the U.S.

David Banks

During her 1991 visit, Elizabeth addressed Congress. Lawmakers gave the monarch a standing ovation, while opponents of British occupation in Northern Ireland protested outside the Capitol.

May 14, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II and President George H.W. Bush review the troops after the Queen's arrival at the White House.

May 15, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II holds flowers presented to her at Drake Place, a housing project.

May 16, 1991 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II is applauded by Vice President Dan Quayle and House Speaker Thomas Foley before her address to the U.S. Congress.

Doug Mills/AP

Elizabeth’s last U.S. state visit came in 2007, when she arrived for the 400th anniversary of England establishing its first permanent North American settlement in Jamestown, Va.

She dined with then-president George W. Bush, watched the Kentucky Derby through bulletproof glass and checked out Washington memorials.

May 4, 2007 | Lexington, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip look out of the window of an SUV as they leave the Bluegrass Airport after arriving.

Morry Gash/AP

May 5, 2007 | Louisville, Ky.

Queen Elizabeth II chats with Prince Philip as Susan Lucci (black hat) looks on at the 133rd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Rob Carr/AP

May 7, 2007, | Washington

President Bush smiles at Queen Elizabeth II before the start of a State Dinner at the White House.

Evan Vucci/AP

May 8, 2007 | Washington

Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. Park Service Director Mary Bomar walk around the National World War II Memorial during a visit by the Queen and Duke.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

May 8, 2007 | Greenbelt, Md.

Queen Elizabeth II accepts flowers from children while walking during a visit to the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Larry Downing

Elizabeth made her final stop on American soil in 2010 to address the United Nations General Assembly. “I believe I was last here in 1957,” she deadpanned to her New York audience.

July 6, 2010 | New York

Queen Elizabeth II leaves a wreath of flowers at the site of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack during her visit.

Lucas Jackson

Queen Elizabeth II speaks at the United Nations Headquarters.

Seth Wenig/AP

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This Is How Many Times Queen Elizabeth Has Visited America

During her long reign, Queen Elizabeth has met leaders from all around the world, including 13 out of the last 14 U.S. presidents , with Lyndon Johnson being the only commander in chief to miss out on a meeting with the queen (per Town & Country ). "In almost every instance, the Queen has also inspired admiration and respect. These are the qualities that underpin her unofficial title as her government's 'secret weapon,'" noted author Matthew Dennison in a piece for  The Telegraph .

Presidents to have visited the queen in her home country include Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, but Queen Elizabeth has been a guest across the pond six times throughout the years. Elizabeth was not yet queen during her first visit to the United States when she was 25 years old in 1951. She and her husband , Prince Phillip, made the trip because her father, Queen George VI, was too sick to meet with Harry Truman in Washington D.C. The young couple clearly made a favorable impression on the president and his wife, with Truman stating "never before have we had such a wonderful young couple, who have so completely captured the hearts of all of us" (per Time ).

Four years after she became queen, Elizabeth returned to the United States in 1957, this time to meet with Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Cold War . She wouldn't be back on American soil until 1976 when she traveled to see Gerald Ford for the Bicentennial Celebration.

Queen Elizabeth has managed to charm every American president

Queen Elizabeth's last three visits to the United States came in 1983 to visit President Ronald Reagan at his California ranch; in 1991, when she met with George H.W. Bush and planted a tree on the South Lawn of the White House; and finally in 2007, when the queen commemorated the 400th anniversary of the English settlement in Jamestown during George W. Bush's presidency (per the White House Historical Association ).

Whether in the U.K. or the U.S., each of her meetings with American leaders has one thing in common: Queen Elizabeth has impressed every president. Barack Obama has called her "truly one of my favorite people" (per Time ), while Joe Biden boasted during his June 2021 visit to Windsor Castle that the queen was "extremely gracious, which is not surprising" (via  Town & Country ). He added that "she reminded me of my mother, in terms of the look of her and just the generosity." 

And even Donald Trump had kind words to say about the royal, stating, "If you think of it, for so many years she has represented her country, she has really never made a mistake. You don't see, like, anything embarrassing. She is just an incredible woman" (via  Business Insider ).

Recommended

Here’s How Every Meeting Between the Queen and a U.S. President Went

G iven Queen Elizabeth II’s record as the world’s longest-reigning monarch before her death on Sept. 8, she had met a huge number of world leaders. Notably she met 13 of the 14 U.S. presidents who have held office since her coronation in 1952—all except Lyndon B. Johnson, who only made state visits to Asia during his time in office.

The most recent U.S. president to visit the U.K. and meet Queen Elizabeth II was President Biden, in June 2021. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden met the Queen at Windsor Castle where they had afternoon tea at the end of the G7 leaders’ summit.

The Queen also met President Donald Trump in 2019 at Buckingham Palace where he was also hosted for a state dinner during an official state visit to Britain. There were protests in several cities condemning the U.K.’s red-carpet treatment of the controversial president.

Below, a timeline of what happened during the Queen’s previous meetings with American leaders.

Harry Truman – October 31, 1951

Elizabeth was not yet queen when, at the age of 25, the princess first met an American president. Harry Truman and his wife Bess hosted Elizabeth and Prince Philip on a two-day visit to Washington D.C. Acting on behalf of her father King George VI, who was gravely ill at the time, Elizabeth gave Truman an ornate 18th-century ‘over mantle’ to hang above a fireplace in the White House, as Pathé newsreel from the time shows. The president said that, while he had received many guests in Washington, “never before have we had such a wonderful young couple, who have so completely captured the hearts of all of us.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower – October 17, 1957

Four years after she was crowned, Queen Elizabeth made her first state visit to the U.S., midway through Dwight D. Eisenhower’s two terms as president. The visit came during the Cold War—a crucial time for the U.S.-U.K alliance. British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was also in town for urgent talks with the American leadership. The Queen, though, found time for more lighthearted events, as chronicled by LIFE Magazine , including a state dinner, a visit to Jamestown, Va.—site of the first British settlement in America—and her first American college football game. She also met former President Herbert Hoover at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Two years later Elizabeth hosted Eisenhower at Balmoral.

John F. Kennedy – June 15, 1961

Half a million people turned out to greet President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline when they arrived in London for a visit in 1961, just a few months after Kennedy’s inauguration. Netflix series The Crown recreated the visit in its second season, making much of the First Lady’s alleged criticisms of the Queen’s old-fashioned style. The royals hosted the Kennedys at a lavish state dinner at Buckingham Palace and the President later wrote to the Queen saying he would “always cherish the memory of that delightful evening.”

Richard Nixon – February 15, 1969

The Queen had already met Nixon in 1957 when he was Vice President under Eisenhower. But their first meeting as two heads of state took place in 1969 when Nixon made an informal visit to the U.K., shortly after taking office. The Queen and Prince Philip hosted him at Buckingham Palace and exchanged signed photos of themselves, while a television crew captured the occasion for a documentary called the Royal Family, broadcast later that year.

Gerald Ford – July 17, 1976

Shortly after the 200th anniversary of America’s declaration of independence from Britain , the Queen came to Washington to celebrate the continuing relationship between the two countries with a state dinner hosted by Gerald Ford and his wife Betty. The pair shared a dance and the President promised the Queen , “the United States [has] never forgotten its British heritage.” First Lady Betty Ford later wrote in her memoir that “the Queen was easy to deal with” and “If I hadn’t kept mixing up Your Highness and Your Majesty (he’s His Highness, she’s Her Majesty) I’d give myself four stars for the way that visit went off.”

Jimmy Carter – May 7, 1977

A year after her visit for the American Independence Bicentennial, the Queen hosted President Jimmy Carter at Buckingham Palace for a dinner with other heads of state during a NATO summit. Carter famously broke royal protocol by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips. She was apparently mortified , saying “Nobody has done that since my husband died.”

Ronald Reagan – June 7, 1982

In 1982, traveling with his wife Nancy, Ronald Reagan became the first American president to stay overnight at Windsor Castle—which Trump is set to visit after spending the night at the U.S. ambassador’s home in central London. It was the first of three trips the Reagans made to see the Queen in the U.K., and she also visited their ranch near Santa Barbara, Ca., in 1983. Reagan wrote in his memoir that the 1982 trip was a “fairytale visit” and one of the most “fun” moments of his presidency. He said the highlight was horseback riding with Elizabeth while Nancy and Philip rode in a horse-drawn carriage. “I must admit, the Queen is quite an accomplished horsewoman,” he wrote.

George H.W. Bush – June 1, 1989

George H.W. Bush first met the Queen in 1989 in London. During the visit, Bush also met Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who, he wrote disparagingly in his memoir , gave him “a lecture on freedom.” Elizabeth, meanwhile, took the Bushes on a tour of Buckingham Palace . The Queen reciprocated the visit with a trip to Washington two years later.

Bill Clinton – June 4, 1994

President Clinton made several visits to the U.K. during his presidency, in part because of his involvement in the peace process in Northern Ireland. He first met the Queen at a banquet honoring the 50th anniversary of World War II’s D-Day in the city of Portsmouth, southern England. Six years later the Queen hosted Bill, Hilary and Chelsea at Buckingham Palace for tea.

George W. Bush – November 21, 2003

George W. Bush first met the Queen over lunch at Buckingham Palace during a six-day European tour in 2001 and in 2003 became the first U.S. president to make an official state visit to the U.K . It was the Queen’s most controversial meeting with an American president—until Trump. To coincide with Bush’s visit in November, around 100,000 people took to the streets to protest the Iraq War , reportedly costing the U.K. millions in security spending during the three-day visit. The demonstration culminated with protesters toppling an effigy of Bush, recalling scenes of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad six months earlier. George and Laura Bush were treated to a 41-gun salute and later attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Barack Obama – May 24, 2011

Barack and Michelle Obama met Elizabeth and Philip on a state visit in 2011. The Obamas presented her with a set of memorabilia and photographs from her parents’ trip to the U.S. in 1939. In return, she gave them a collection of letters exchanged between previous monarchs and U.S. presidents. Looking at the letters relating to the American Revolution, Obama joked, “That was only a temporary blip in the relationship.” The Obamas met the Queen twice more and on her 90th birthday the president said , “She is truly one of my favorite people.”

Donald Trump – July 13, 2018 and June 3, 2019

President Trump first met the Queen on an official visit in 2018, when they had tea at Windsor Castle. He largely avoided London, where tens of thousands of protesters turned out to criticize his rhetoric and policy on issues including migration, gender and LGBTQ rights.

On his 2019 visit, the President and first Lady spent more time with the Royals than they did the year before — though once again there were protests in a number of parts of the country. They flew by helicopter to Buckingham Palace and were greeted by the Queen, Prince Charles and Camila Parker-Bowles. The couple shook hands with the Queen before heading inside for a private lunch.

President Trump and First Lady Melania also dined with the royals and some 170 guests with ties to the U.S. in the grand ballroom of Buckingham Palace. Outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May attended the dinner but leaders of the U.K.’s main opposition parties — Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn and the Liberal Democrats’ Vince Cable — declined to attend.

Joe Biden – June 13, 2021

President Biden met the Queen at Windsor Castle along with First Lady Jill Biden. Their visit included a Guard of Honor and afternoon tea with the Queen. Their visit was at the end of the G7 Summit in Cornwall. The President and First Lady also met the Queen a few days earlier at a reception for G7 leaders.

President Biden said they had spoken about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He also said that he told her she reminded him of his mother.

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Photos: A look back at Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to California in 1983

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Queen Elizabeth the II, who turns 90 today, visited the West Coast of the United States for the first time in February and March of 1983. Her trip started in San Diego and moved north from there: to Los Angeles for a meeting with then-Mayor Tom Bradley, to Santa Barbara to meet then-President Reagan, and on to San Francisco, Sacramento, Yosemite and finally Seattle. She then went on to Victoria, British Columbia.

These Los Angeles Times photographs document parts of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to California.

The queen at Yosemite

The queen’s visit to Yosemite was marred by the deaths of three U.S. Secret Service agents in a head-on collision with a Mariposa County Sheriff’s Department car. The agents, part of a detail protecting the queen, were driving around a curve on Highway 132 when they crashed, The Times reported then. They were George P. LaBarge, 41, of Ohio; Donald A. Bejcek, 29, of Chicago; and Donald W. Robinson, 38, of Newark, N.J.

The queen with the president

A storm was howling and dumping rain on the Santa Barbara coastline when the queen arrived for a trip to President Ronald Reagan’s retreat at 2,400 feet up in the mountains. It was “an extremely hazardous venture by any standard,” The Times reported. “A narrow, twisting, steep obstacle course of flooded streams, washed-out sections, downed tree limbs and falling boulders.” A Chevrolet Suburban got the president and the queen up the hill: “She found the trip delightful and terribly exciting,” Elizabeth’s press secretary was quoted as saying.

The queen meets Mayor Tom Bradley

While in Los Angeles, Elizabeth met Mayor Tom Bradley. In a speech at City Hall, she defended Britain’s actions in the Falkland Islands, praised Los Angeles’ diversity and economy, and even got in a joke (recounted in a Page 1 article Feb. 28, 1983).

The queen lightheartedly reminded Los Angeles residents that her northward journey from San Diego this weekend paralleled a similar trip made 400 years ago by Sir Francis Drake “who (unsuccessfully) claimed this territory as Nova Albion for the first Queen Elizabeth and for the queen’s successors forever.

“I am happy, though, to give you an immediate assurance, Mr. Mayor, that I have not come here to press that claim.”

The queen with a spaceship

On the same day as her speech at City Hall, the queen saw a bit of exploration history: a mock-up of the space shuttle and the Apollo 14 command module at Rockwell International in Downey.

The queen with the stars

On the second day of her trip, though it was still raining, the stars came out. “Center of Attention Everywhere,” The Times’ headline read, “Queen the Star — From Church to Hollywood.”

In attendance at the event above — on the set of “MASH,” which was airing its final episode that night — were Elton John, Fred Astaire, Bette Davis, Jimmy Stewart, LAPD Chief Daryl Gates, Cesar Romero and Vin Scully, among others. The Times reported that Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dionne Warwick and George Burns performed.

The queen and the prince

Although this image is from the beginning of the trip, it’s a fitting way to finish. Elizabeth II has been back to the United States several times since 1983, but her journeys haven’t brought her to the West Coast.

Queen Elizabeth dies at 96, reigned longer than any other British monarch

Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign was so long that most of Britain’s 68 million people have known no other sovereign.

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Photos of British Royal Family's Visits to the U.S. Over the Years

Princess Di and John Travolta's meeting at the White House was iconic.

The royal family has been visiting the United States for over 80 years now, touching lives in states across the nation along the way. While official tours—and even impromptu visits—come with a range of important duties, they typically also allow for public-facing moments of downtime and celebrity-studded fun. From King George VI and the future Queen Mother's very first hot dog to Prince Charles's date with Tricia Nixon, these photos show just how many memories have been made in the United States. With Prince William visiting in New York City this week for the Earthshot Prize Summit, there's no better time to look back at the best royal visits to the U.S. throughout history.

King George VI and the future Queen Mother were the very first British royals to travel to the U.S. in 1939. Here, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the royals zip down the streets of New York on the way to the Commander-in-Chief's Top Cottage retreat.

Here, King George VI and the future Queen Mother stand on the Capitol steps with senators from around the country.

Then-Princess Elizabeth made her first trip to the U.S. in 1951, where she met with President Harry Truman. “Whenever anyone becomes acquainted with you,” he told her at the time, “they immediately fall in love.”

Queen Elizabeth returned six years later for her first state visit as monarch. She appeared to enjoy her first and only college football game in Maryland, where she famously asked , "Where do you get all those enormous players?"

The Queen and Prince Philip tour one of the ships at Jamestown Festival Park's pier during a stop in Virginia.

On a state visit in 1959, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride an electric car through the International Chicago Trade Fair.

Princess Margaret and her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones ride one of San Francisco's famous cable cars on their trip to sunny California in November 1965.

Margaret takes in the view from atop the city's iconic Coit Tower.

During a stop in Hollywood, the royals visit Alfred Hitchcock on set of his film Torn Curtain .

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon take riding lessons at the Arizona ranch of former U.S. ambassador to Great Britain, Lewis Douglas.

The pair stop in Washington, D.C. toward the end of their trip to take in sights like the Lincoln Memorial.

During his first visit to the States as Prince of Wales, Prince Charles gets cozy with President Richard Nixon's daughter, Tricia, at a baseball game. “That was quite amusing, I must say,” he later told CNN of the trip. “That was the time when they were trying to marry me off to Tricia Nixon.”

Princess Anne joins her brother on the White House balcony, alongside President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon.

Queen Elizabeth dances with President Gerald Ford at a White House State Dinner during her 1976 East Coast visit.

Queen Elizabeth drops by Philadelphia’s famous Liberty Bell.

The monarch waves at onlookers as she passes the iconic Bloomingdale's flagship store in New York City.

Prince Charles returned to America in 1977, where he toured the McDonnell Douglas plant in St. Louis. Here, founder James S. McDonnell shows off a F-15 Eagle jet fighter.

The future king makes a stop in California, where he visits the set of M*A*S*H. The actors, including Alan Alda, share a laugh with the royal over an inflated surgical glove.

Prince Charles continues to mingle with Hollywood stars—like Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors—at a banquet held in his honor at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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Washington to Yosemite: the Queen’s visits to the US over the years – in pictures

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Over the past 71 years, the Queen visited America as both a princess and queen, and met more US presidents than any other head of state, according to the White House

Fri 9 Sep 2022 16.23 BST Last modified on Fri 9 Sep 2022 19.44 BST

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Queen Elizabeth II and the White House

Beginning in 1951, Queen Elizabeth II cultivated a seventy-year friendship with the White House, visiting the United States several times as both princess and queen. Her visits have included four State Visits, five State Dinners, and two unofficial visits during her reign. In seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II participated in many important White House traditions and met more U.S. presidents than any other head of state. In this collection, explore the decades-long history of Queen Elizabeth II and the White House.

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The White House and Queen Elizabeth II

The White House and Queen Elizabeth II shared a long history of friendship and diplomacy. Queen Elizabeth II’s reign spanned 14 presidential administrations.

Queen Elizabeth II

As the longest-reigning British monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II met with more than a dozen sitting American presidents. Explore the gallery to learn more about these historic moments!

New Issue of White House History Quarterly, “Queen Elizabeth II: The Royal Visits” Available on Pre-Order Today

The White House Historical Association (WHHA) today released the 64th issue of its award-winning magazine, White House History Quarterly. Queen Elizabeth II visited the United States as princess and queen, officially and privately, eight times, from 1951 to 2010, never failing to make front page news. She has met more U.S. presidents than any other head of state, thirteen of the

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Commonly known as “Ranch in the Sky,” Rancho del Cielo was President Ronald Reagan’s rural property in the Santa Ynez Mountains just outside Santa Barbara, California.1 The Pacific Ocean, just a few miles to the south, can be seen from the peaks that nestle the small ranch house.2 It was among these mountains that President Reagan found the perfect reprie

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The Roosevelts loved to entertain. During their thirteen-year stay in the White House, they used the mansion's grand setting to host receptions for congressmen, senators, governors, justices of the Supreme Court, foreign dignitaries, and even royalty. Less formal affairs included simple lunches or dinners with family and friends, intimate cocktail parties, teas, and game nights, as well as impromptu skits

Marian Anderson Performs at the White House

One of the most memorable performances in White House history was Marian Anderson’s rendition of Schubert’s "Ave Maria" as the culmination of a gala "Evening of American Music" presented by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1939. The entertainment was planned for a state visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England. Anderson’s powerful voice soared that evenin

Visiting the White House

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Why Queen Elizabeth was so very fond of America

She was just 25 and still a princess when she and prince philip made their first visit to united states in 1951, writes andrew buncombe.

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S he met every sitting US president but one. She stayed with another president, Harry Truman , before she was even the monarch, and met one more, Herbert Hoover, 20 years after he had left office.

Queen Elizabeth II –  whose funeral service has been held after she died earlier this month aged 96 after 70 years on the throne – made six official trips to the US, including three state visits with all the pomp and ceremony that involved. She also made a number of private visits, many of them in pursuit of her love of horse racing and the thoroughbreds of Kentucky.

She was just 25 and still a princess when she, and Prince Philip, made her first visit to the United States in 1951, staying with President Truman at Blair House while renovations to the White House were being carried out.

In 1957, she and Philip returned for her first state visit and were met at the White House by President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife Mamie.

He was the first serving president she met during her reign, which began in 1952.

In 2021, the Queen met Joe Biden – whom she had previously spoken to when he was a senator – bringing to 13 the total of presidents in office she met. The only sitting president she did not speak to face to face was Lyndon Johnson.

In one obvious sense, the number of American presidents she met is a striking reminder of the length of her reign. (When Eisenhower was in office, his political counterpart in London was Winston Churchill.)

Latest updates as Queen Elizabeth dies peacefully in Scotland

Supporters and admirers of the Queen say the connections she was able to make helped add personal cement to the relationship between the two countries, almost 250 years after what was a British colony fought for and secured its independence from King George III.

And diplomats from both the US and Britain say London was able to use the Queen’s soft power, and the prospect of a photo opportunity at Buckingham Palace, knowing the allure it held to some, even if they got to meet other heads of state all around the world. (In 2018, the Queen hosted Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, even as anti-Trump protesters demonstrated in central London and inflated a balloon that showed the US president wearing a nappy – or diaper).

Elizabeth was just 13 when the Second World War broke out, and she came of age – later serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British army – at a time when the US’s importance to Britain, and to its very survival, could not have been more stark.

Historian Robert Hardman, author of a number of books about the monarch including Queen of the World , says her growing up at a time of conflict – she served in the Women’s Land Army – resulted in her seeing the United States as a saviour of sorts for Britain and Europe.

That in turn has helped to shape the way many Americans, particularly admirers of the monarch, view her.

“It was quite well summed up years ago by a Washington journalist based in London: he just said that the Queen, to so many Americans, symbolised stability and permanence in a changing world – characteristics that people find very endearing,” he tells The Independent . “The shared bond of sacrifice, the war, the Second World War in particular, is seen as a big deal in public life.”

He adds: “Generations move on, but the royal family is very much identified with that sort of great transatlantic alliance that – it’s not an exaggeration to say – saved the free world.”

A royal diplomatic carrot

Diplomats from the US and Britain have said the Queen was used frequently to the benefit of both sides, even if any record of the visits of Her Majesty to the US, or a US president to Britain, tend to contain any manner of incidents of “protocol breaches”, as noted by royal watchers.

These included Trump’s walking in front of the Queen, instead of alongside her, and turning his back on her as they reviewed an honour guard, and Michelle Obama’s brief placing of an arm around the Queen’s back as they commiserated with each other about their aching feet.

In 2007, during the Queen’s last visit to the US, George W Bush momentarily mixed up a date of an earlier trip – a 1976 state dinner to mark the bicentennial of the American Revolution – saying she had been there in “17….”. He caught himself before he went any further, and added: “She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.”

The 1976 visit was also not without note. Gerald Ford threw a dinner at the White House and invited the likes of Cary Grant. Reports suggest all went well until Ford led the Queen to the dance floor, perhaps not aware that the song sounding out through the room was “The Lady Is a Tramp”.

“I think it’s useful on both sides,” says Raymond Seitz, a career diplomat who served as US ambassador to London from 1991 to 1994, the last non-political appointee dispatched by Washington to the Court of St James’s.

“For the British, I think it is useful to see that there is a commonality of interests and history that has more or less worked to the benefit of both countries. Of course, the Queen will do her duty no matter what she thinks of the US president.

“And on the American side, because we tend to be a little rambunctious in our politics, and some of our decision-making, having affirmation from the British, not to mention participation from the British, is always valuable for an American president. So it’s not America going alone.”

Seitz says the US is overwhelmingly a celebrity culture. And because the Queen has been seen in that pigeonhole, few have understood her specific role or the purpose of the Commonwealth.

“There’s this extremely glamorous aspect to the monarchy. And so Americans want to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace,” he says. “And you don’t have to be a descendant of Anglos to like it, you know, Italian Americans go and Black Americans go and it’s just something to see.”

Seitz travelled with the Queen to Texas and Florida in 1991, when George HW Bush was president, and the monarch embarked on a 13-day tour that would include an address to Congress and a visit to the baseball match between the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics. (A preview in The New York Times noted that the Queen “will be offered a hot dog but that she does not eat in public”.)

At the White House, she joked about being part of the bicentennial celebrations 15 years earlier.

“With gallant disregard for history, we shared wholeheartedly in the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the founding of this great nation,” she said.

She told the joint session of Congress: “The concept, so simply described by Abraham Lincoln as ‘government by the people, of the people, for the people’, is fundamental to our two nations. Your Congress and our parliament are the twin pillars of our civilisations and the chief among the many treasures that we have inherited from our predecessors.”

Seitz says the royal visitors drew warm crowds, even if not everyone was certain of who precisely they were.

“In Austin, Texas, the crowds were out, and they were waving little union jacks, and not quite sure who she was, but that she was pretty terrific,” he says. “And I think most people have just a very favourable image of her. And of course, the older she is, the longer she’s there, she’s like everybody’s grandmother.”

Seitz says he spoke to the Queen several times, always at social events.

“She has a very good sense of humour. And she’s very easy to talk to and interested in things and follows up after a conversation,” he adds.

“And she has a charming laugh. She says, when something’s funny, she really enjoys the humour of it. My encounters were always very pleasant. But I never had to talk hard business.”

‘Free men everywhere look towards the United States with affection and with hope’

Elizabeth’s first visit to the US was in October 1951, when the 25-year-old was not yet Queen. She and Philip spent two days in Washington DC, hosted by President Truman and his wife Bess. They had travelled to DC from Canada, where she was also making her first trip.

Her father, George VI, was very ill from lung cancer at this point, and he would die just months later, on 6 February 1952, his death at Sandringham Estate setting in motion Elizabeth’s ascent to the throne, and her subsequent coronation in June 1953.

Reports noted Elizabeth gave Truman an elaborate 18th-century “overmantle” to hang above a fireplace in the White House.

Meeting the royal couple at Washington national airport, Truman said: “I think your visit will improve – if that is possible – the cordial relations that exist between our two great countries, and I hope that while you are here you will have a very enjoyable time.”

In response, Elizabeth said during her time in Canada, she heard “much of the warm goodwill felt by the people of the United States towards the people of Canada, and I am glad that before sailing for England we are to have this chance of seeing at least some of the country with which the whole British Commonwealth has so many friendly ties”.

She added: “Free men everywhere look towards the United States with affection and with hope. The message that has gone out from this great capital city has brought hope and courage to a troubled world.”

Later, Truman said that, while he had received many guests in Washington, “never before have we had such a wonderful young couple, who have so completely captured the hearts of all of us”.

A new age of discovery – plus a game of college football

Five years after that first visit to the US, the Queen and Prince Phillip returned for her first state visit, the 31-year-old monarch being met at the White House by President Eisenhower and his wife Mamie. Eisenhower was the first serving president she met during her reign.

In addition to events in Washington DC and New York, the Queen attended the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in 1607, the first permanent English settlement in North America. (It was also the site of the first landing of slaves, in 1619, the commencement of more than two centuries of slavery that would continue until the end of the American civil war in 1865.)

The Queen received a 21-gun salute and was welcomed at Jamestown by Virginia governor Thomas Stanley.

According to a report in the Richmond Times Dispatch , Elizabeth said in her remarks: “I cannot think of a more appropriate point for us to start our visit to the United States.”

She added: “The settlement in Jamestown was the beginning of a series of overseas settlements made throughout the world by British pioneers. Jamestown grew and became the United States. Those other settlements grew and became nations now united in our great Commonwealth.”

The Queen visited an exhibit of the settlement and had tea at the College of William and Mary, and attended a religious service in the Old Tower Church on Jamestown island. She and Philip would spend two nights at the Williamsburg Inn.

To bring the Queen to Washington, Eisenhower had sent his official aircraft, the Columbine III , to Patrick Henry airport in Newport News.

At a state dinner at the White House, the Queen said; “There are many indications today that we are at the beginning of a new age of discovery and exploration in the world of human knowledge and technology. Only a short time ago these unexplored areas of human knowledge seemed as impenetrable as the forests of this continent to the settlers 350 years ago.”

Her visit also took in a college football match, watching the Maryland Terrapins beat the North Carolina Tar Heels 21-7, at the University of Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington DC.

The Queen left for New York, where she addressed a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

She said: “This assembly was born of the endeavours of countless men and women from different nations who, over the centuries, have pursued the aims of the preservation of peace between nations, equality of justice for all before the law and the right of the peoples of the world to live their lives in freedom and security.”

She would not return to the US on an official basis until 1976 when she travelled to see Gerald Ford for the bicentennial celebration, an event that was also a state visit. She made official trips, though not state visits, in 1983 when she visited President Ronald Reagan, 1991 when she met President George HW Bush, and 2007 when she returned for the 400th anniversary of the English settlement in Jamestown

‘The only absolutely central item in president’s visit is this riding event’

Perhaps the most telling insight of the Queen’s power as a diplomatic tool with the wrapping of pageantry came during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, who served two terms, and visited London in June 1982 while the Falklands conflict was still going on.

The British government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was concerned to ensure the US’s support in a critical UN vote over the Falklands. The visit by Reagan was the first by a president for five years, but the invitation from the Queen – rather than the government – was the first of its kind since one made to Woodrow Wilson in 1919.

Reagan also had to juggle a one-day trip to the Vatican to visit the Pope, an economic summit in Paris, and the fallout from the British media again finding fault with a breach of protocol. (First lady Nancy shook hands and did not curtsy, triggering a series of hard stories.)

Reagan was also the first US president to address the Houses of Parliament.

Yet, documents obtained by the historian Hardman under a freedom of information request show the importance Reagan attached to an invitation from the Queen to ride with her at Windsor.

“Mrs Thatcher had worked very hard to bring Ronald Reagan onside in the conflict, despite the reluctance of some American strategists for whom Argentina served as a bulwark against the spread of communism in South America,” Hardman writes in Queen of Our Times .

Documents show Sir Nico Henderson, the British ambassador to Washington, reporting to London: “I need hardly say that the only absolutely stable and central item in any discussion of the president’s visit is this riding event.”

The ride, which lasted an hour around the Windsor estate, went off without a hitch, despite being “pursued by US Secret Service outriders in a state of near panic”.

Reagan wrote in his diaries that day: “Flew out for London and helicoptered to Windsor Castle. This was a fairy tale experience.”

A year later, Reagan returned the compliment, inviting the Queen to ride with him at his ranch in California, an offer he did not make to any other head of state.

Hardman says reading the documents it becomes clear that this was the “personal magic, which really matters to the most powerful man in the world at the time when Britain really needs his help”.

‘She’s enjoyed discussing horse breeding and meeting the people who run these farms’

In addition to the six official visits to the US, the Queen made several private visits and in particular was drawn to the bluegrass state of Kentucky. There she pursued her fondness for horse racing.

Her first visit came in October 1984, to celebrate the inauguration of a race named in her honour, the Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, held at Keeneland, Lexington. The first race’s winner was Sintra, a Kentucky-bred horse. 

Seth Hancock, one of the half-owners of the horse, told a reporter from the Lexington Courier-Journal : “The queen’s a regular person, just like my mother and all the other classy ladies I’ve known in my life.”

The other half-owner, Renee Lickle, confessed to being more starstruck. “My hands were shaking so hard I couldn’t even hold my binoculars straight.”

She returned in 1986 and 1989, for what officials said was a “working holiday” with few if any public appearances.

The Queen is said to have stayed at Lane’s End, a farm in Versailles, west of Lexington, owned by her friend William Farish and where she stabled horses. Farish met Prince Charles while playing polo and was introduced to the Queen at a match she sponsored in England. Farish would later serve as US ambassador to London.

British embassy spokesman Francis Cornish told reporters at the time that the Queen was returning to Kentucky because there was no match for its status as a centre of horse breeding, and she had “thoroughly enjoyed herself” during her previous two visits.

“She’s enjoyed seeing the stallions,” Cornish said. “She’s enjoyed discussing horse breeding and she’s very much enjoyed meeting the people who run these farms and own these farms.”

The Queen returned twice more to Kentucky, in 1991, as the “unofficial” part of her official visit, and in May 2007 when she and Philip attended the 133rd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Former Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter told the WLKY television channel that year: “There are those ... who would probably say that she likes animals a little more than she likes people. And I suppose it can be argued that the animals are always pleased to see you and they don’t argue back.”

‘For many Americans it’s amazing she was Queen when Winston Churchill was prime minister’

The Queen’s last official visit to the United States was in May 2007 when she travelled to mark the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, near Williamsburg, Virginia.

She was welcomed at the White House by George W Bush, and at the British embassy in Washington DC by the ambassador Sir David Manning. In his role as Britain’s envoy, Sir David accompanied the Queen’s party.

He believes the Queen’s admiration for the US was largely mutual.

“The affection for her was very clear when she came to the United States on her last state visit in 2007,” he says from London.

“And the one in 2007, in some ways, reprised the very first one because she arrived in Jamestown, and then went to Williamsburg. And when she stayed in Williamsburg, she stayed in a hotel that had wonderful photographs of her from the very first time in 1957.”

Sir David points out that the Queen met every US president who served during her reign bar Lyndon Johnson.

“And it was a source of fascination and amazement to many Americans that this was somebody who first came to the throne when Winston Churchill was the British prime minister,” he says. “And Churchill, as we all know very well, is a cult figure in the United States.”

He adds that for many Americans there was a sense of history about her, a link that goes right back to those days of Eisenhower and Churchill. “She, I think, is also enormously admired as being someone who lived through the Second World War.”

Sir David says during their time in Washington DC, the Queen and Prince Philip visited the then recently new World War II Memorial. They toured it, not with Bush but Bush’s father, George HW Bush, and former first lady Barbara Bush.

“This was a very moving event because all of them had lived through the war. There was Prince Philip, who had been on destroyers, and the Queen had been in the [Women’s] Land Army, and President Bush had been a fighter pilot,” he says.

“And I think this all has great resonance for Americans. And so I think there is a fascination and attachment.”

Sir David also spent 10 years as an adviser to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate), and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan).

In March 2021, Meghan and Harry delivered a withering account of the palace in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, accusing it of racism and officials of ignoring the couple’s appeal for help with their mental wellbeing.

Does Sir David believe events like that, or allegations made against her second son Prince Andrew in lawsuits filed in New York of sexual assault – claims he denied but which the Queen helped him to financially settle – tarnished her reputation?

He says that now he is living outside the US, it is impossible for him to say. However, he doubts it.

“Maybe other members of the family come up and come down, and they’re less or more popular, but I think the Queen is in a rather special category of her own, probably,” he says.

“I doubt whether the assessment of her is much affected by what the rest of the family do.”

He says that the controversy over Meghan and Harry is, of course, part of her reign, but doubts “it will much impact on how she was viewed from the United States”.

He says that she was “championing the Commonwealth, she’s champion decolonisation, she’s obviously absolutely happy in the company of all sorts of leaders from all around the world, and what’s more, she knows them all very well, I think that is much more the image Americans are likely to take away”.

Final visit and a ‘vision in champagne’

During the six-day state visit in 2007, the staff at the Williamsburg Inn had set out photographs of the Queen, from her first visit 40 years earlier. The Inn has a long history of welcoming heads of state and government, and VIPs, among them the late Margaret Thatcher, who in 1993 was made chancellor of the College of William and Mary, located in Williamsburg.

Leslie Noble, the general manager, recalls her visit as one that was very warm and says that for many staff, the Queen’s visit would have been special, particularly given she was coming to celebrate 400 years since the founding of Jamestown.

Noble was supposed to have been in the farewell line that sent her off but because of a mix-up, she and her staff were sent out to wave at her departing helicopter.

“I was so impressed by her composure with this crowd in the lobby. How kind she was to the two little girls that gave the flowers,” she says, speaking from Williamsburg.

“She was only here less than 24 hours. But I watched her go up and down the staircase to her suite numerous times. Travelling up the steps like it was nothing, and these high-heeled shoes, and just the energy she had, even in her eighties.

“And I thought how remarkable she was, always seemed so composed and so friendly, smiling to people, even as she was heading back to her room to change for the next event that she had,” she adds.

Noble recalls that ahead of her visit, the Inn had been contacted by the Queen’s senior dresser, Angela Kelly, whose formal title is personal adviser to Her Majesty (The Queen’s Wardrobe).

She says Kelly told her the Queen had described her 1957 visit in such detail that she felt she had visited the Inn herself, even though at that point she had not.

The monarch had even remembered the gown she wore, though not its colour, as she had that item in two particular tones – blue and beige. Most photographs from the time were black and white.

Nat Reed, the Inn’s former superintendent of guest services, had worked during the Queen’s first visit, and retired in 1984.

During the time of the Queen’s second visit, Reed was in his nineties, but his memory was also sharp. (Reed died in 2009, aged 93, and his story in the Richmond Times was headlined “Nathaniel Reid, who served royalty at Williamsburg Inn, dies at 93”.)

“When asked about the colour of the gown – and they didn’t give him a choice – he just immediately said ‘she was a vision in champagne’,” says Noble.

“So she did remember her time with us and remembers that enough that she described it 50 years later in such detail, even the gown.”

Noble adds: “The fact that she remembered meant so much to us. To think with everything that she had seen and done in 50 years, she had enough of a memory of us.”

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President Bush Welcomes Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the White House

"Our two nations hold fundamental values in common. We honor our traditions and our shared history. We recognize that the strongest societies respect the rights and dignity of the individual. We understand and accept the burdens of global leadership. And we have built our special relationship on the surest foundations -- our deep and abiding love of liberty."

-- President George W. Bush May 7, 2007

The State Visit in Honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush are honored to host Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh on Monday, May 7, 2007.

The United States has no closer ally and friend than Great Britain. Our nations share an exceptionally close relationship based on deep historical and cultural ties, a common language, shared values and interests, and a commitment to defend freedom around the world.

This visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, is an occasion to celebrate these enduring bonds.

President Bush and the First Lady visited England in November 2003 and welcome the opportunity to return that hospitality, which, as the Queen noted at that time, has been extended to seven of the President's predecessors.

The Arrival Ceremony

The Arrival Ceremony for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, will take place on May 7, 2007 on the South Lawn of the White House.

Approximately 7,000 guests will attend the Arrival Ceremony, including the American and British delegations, British Embassy staff, State Dinner guests, Members of Congress, Cabinet Members, White House staff and their guests, State Department staff, and students.

The White House arrival ceremony includes the following:

Guests of the State Dinner

The dinner will take place in the State Dining Room on the State Floor of the White House, following a reception in the East Room on the State Floor. One hundred thirty-four guests will be seated in the State Dining Room. A diverse representation of guests from across the country will attend the State Dinner. An American and a British delegation will represent their respective countries at the State Dinner. The Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, Secretary Rice, Secretary and Mrs. Gates, and General and Mrs. Pace are among the American delegation.

A member of the Bush Administration will serve as the table host at each of the thirteen tables. Members of the British delegation will be seated throughout the State Dining Room. Traditionally, couples are seated at different tables.

Attire for the State Dinner

In honor of the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh the attire for the State Dinner is white tie. This is the first white tie event that the President and Mrs. Bush have hosted.

Other previous White House white tie events include:

Preparation for the Dinner

Mrs. Bush planned the dinner menu with her Social Secretary Amy Zantzinger and Executive Chef Cristeta "Cris" Comerford to prepare the dinner menu. Chef Comerford has worked in the White House kitchen since 1995 and was named Executive Chef in August, 2005.

Mrs. Bush also coordinated with Social Secretary Amy Zantzinger and Bill Yosses, the White House Executive Pastry Chef responsible for creating the dessert. Chef Yosses was named Executive Pastry Chef in January 2007.

The menu will include five courses: Appetizer/Soup, Fish, Meat, Salad and Dessert.

The Room Setting

The table settings will be appropriately appointed with historically significant pieces, including:

White House Coordination with the Office of Protocol

As with every State visit, the White House coordinates with the Office of Protocol, which resides at the Department of State. Ray Martinez serves as the Acting Chief of Protocol of the United States. There is always tight coordination between the Office of Protocol and White House entities, including the First Lady's Office, the White House Military Office, and the National Security Council. The Office of Protocol also ensures specific information is provided in preparation for State visits hosted by the President and Mrs. Bush, such as the proper way to address foreign dignitaries and visitors, dietary restrictions, and overall logistical movements.

Official Visits Hosted by President and Mrs. Bush

The President and Mrs. Bush have hosted eight Official visits during the Administration. An official visits includes a visit from a Head of Government or a Prime Minister with a formal White House Arrival Ceremony. Previous visits hosted by the President and Mrs. Bush are:

State Dinners Hosted by President and Mrs. Bush

The State Dinner for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh is the fifth of the Bush Administration. Four of the eight official visits also included State Dinners:

The Schedule of the Her Majesty's Visit to America

Previous Visits to United States

This is Her Majesty's first visit to the United States in 16 years. Previous visits include the following:

For this visit, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh will stay at the President's guest house, the Blair House.

In addition to the 2003 visit to England, the President and Mrs. Bush met Her Majesty and His Royal Highness in 1991, during the White House State Dinner hosted by the then President George H. W. Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush.

Mrs. Bush's Chief of Staff

Anita McBride serves as Assistant to President George W. Bush and Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush. As Chief of Staff, she oversees the First Lady's policy, press, correspondence, scheduling and advance, speechwriting, and social offices. Her White House service spans two decades and three administrations (George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan).

The Social Secretary

The Social Secretary is Amy Zantzinger. Mrs. Zantzinger is Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary. She was named to this position in January 2007 and most recently owned an exclusive national interior design firm with design services for both residential and commercial clients throughout the United States. Previously, Zantzinger worked with then President George H. W. Bush in the White House as well as for the Bush family for both of George H. W. Bush's campaigns.

The Chief Usher

Admiral Steve Rochon is the eighth Chief Usher of the White House. With 36 years in public service, Admiral Rochon has an extensive background in personnel management, strategic planning, and effective interagency coordination. The Chief Usher is responsible for activities that occur in the Executive Residence and on the grounds, including the Arrival Ceremony and the set up of stages and continues through the evening for the Dinner.

Speeches & News Releases

May 4, 2007 Fact Sheet: The State Visit in Honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Vice President's Remarks Welcoming Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

November 15, 2006 President and Mrs. Bush to Welcome Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in Celebration of 400 th Anniversary of Jamestown Settlement

Related Links

November 2, 2005 President Welcomes Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to the White House

November 18, 2003 President's Trip to the United Kingdom

Official Dinner

Social Dinner Guest List

Dinner Menu

After Dinner Entertainment Guest List

Guest List for the Luncheon

Menu for the Luncheon

Photo Essays

The Queen of travel

Queen Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022

Queen Elizabeth II leaves Fiji during a royal tour in February 1977. Serge Lemoine/Getty Images

The Queen of travel Journeys of a lifetime

By Francesca Street and Mark Oliver, CNN September 13, 2022

S he was traveling the moment she ascended to the throne, and for much of the next seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II criss-crossed the world. Newly married and still just a princess, Britain’s future monarch was in Kenya with husband Prince Philip in February 1952 when she learned of her father’s death and her new regal status.

During her reign she would visit more than 120 countries, witnessing first-hand the revolutions in global travel that shrank the world as her own influence over it diminished.

The Queen lived through the advent of the Jet Age, flew supersonic on the Concorde, saw regimes change, countries form and dissolve, the end of the British Empire and the rise of globalization.

Here are some of the most memorable travel moments from her 70 years as monarch.

November 24-25, 1953

Less than six months after she was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, Queen Elizabeth set off on her travels again. Her debut official state trip was an epic six-month tour of the Commonwealth -- the alliance of nations which were once British colonies. Traveling by air, sea and land she visited several countries, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. First stop was the North Atlantic island of Bermuda, a British territory she would visit a further four times during her reign. The trip would go on to include stops in Jamaica, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Aden (now part of Yemen), Uganda, Malta and Gibraltar.

December 19-20, 1953

At Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in June 1953, Queen Salote Tupou III of the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga won over the British public when she sat, rain-soaked, in her open carriage. They also took an interest when Elizabeth returned the visit later in the year. The two queens enjoyed an open-air feast, watched Tongan dancers and admired a tortoise that legend said was presented by explorer Captain James Cook to the King of Tonga in 1777.

December 23, 1953 – January 30, 1954

New zealand.

The Queen voyaged to New Zealand during the Antipodean summer of 1953-4. Over the course of the trip, it’s estimated that three out of every four New Zealanders got a glimpse of her. In preparation for the Queen’s visit, some New Zealand sheep were dyed in the UK flag colors of red, white and blue. The Queen returned to the country nine times over the years, including in 2002 as she marked half a century on the throne.

April 10-21, 1954

Ceylon (now sri lanka).

A visit to Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, coincided with the Queen’s 28th birthday. She visited the city of Colombo where crowds joined together to sing her “Happy Birthday.” She also visited the central city of Kandy, where she watched a procession featuring a reported 140 elephants and met local chiefs.

April 8-11, 1957

The Queen had visited France as a young princess, but her first state visit as monarch was a glamorous affair. She attended the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, visited the Palace of Versailles, and dined at the Louvre with then-President Rene Coty. The Queen also laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe and visited the Scottish Church of Paris.

October 17-20, 1957

United states.

Having met President Harry S. Truman in Washington in 1951 during a visit before ascending to the throne, Elizabeth was no stranger to America when she arrived on her first trip as Queen. Her 1957 visit marked the 350th anniversary of the first permanent British settlement on the continent, in Jamestown. The monarch attended a college football game at the former Byrd Stadium in Maryland where she watched the home team lose to North Carolina. She met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the White House and later traveled to New York, where she and Prince Philip drove through the streets and admired panoramic views of the city from the Empire State Building.

February 1-16, 1961

The Queen and Prince Philip visited Pakistan in 1961, arriving in the port city of Karachi after completing a visit to India as part of a wider tour of South Asia. She drove through the streets of Karachi in an open-top car, before going on to visit Lahore, where a torchlight military tattoo took place in her honor and Prince Philip played in a game of polo.

February 26 to March 1, 1961

In Nepal, the Queen inspected troops in Kathmandu and met Gurkha ex-servicemen in Pokhara. The monarch rode on an elephant and visited the Hanuman Dhoka Palace complex in Kathmandu. She took part in the rather grim spectacle of a tiger hunt although didn’t shoot any animals herself. She instead recorded the experience on cine camera – a recording device that she often carried with her on her earlier foreign trips.

March 2-6, 1961

The Queen visited pre-revolution Iran at the end of her 1961 South Asian tour. Hosted by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, she toured ancient monuments including the ruins of Persepolis, once a capital of the Achaemenid Empire, later declared a World Heritage Site. She also saw Sheikh Lotfollah mosque in Esfahan and admired collections of the Archaeological Museum of Iran.

May 5, 1961

Vatican city.

In 1961, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit the Vatican. Dressed all in black, the Queen had an audience with Pope John XXIII, also attended by Prince Philip. She returned to the Vatican three more times during her reign, meeting Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis.

November 9-20, 1961

Bombing incidents in the capital Accra left officials worried about the safety of the Queen’s visit to Ghana but, after deliberation, UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan confirmed it would go ahead. During the trip, the Queen famously shared a dance with Ghana’s then-president, Kwame Nkrumah. At the height of Cold War uncertainty, this seemingly innocuous moment was seen as significant in ensuring Ghana remained affiliated to Britain and not the USSR.

May 18-28, 1965

West germany (now germany).

The Queen’s visit to West Germany and West Berlin was viewed as a symbolic gesture of goodwill in the post-World War II landscape. It was the first royal trip to German territory for more than 50 years and photographs such as one of the Queen and Prince Philip in a car driving past the Brandenburg Gate had symbolic resonance.

November 5-11, 1968

Queen Elizabeth became the first reigning British monarch to visit South America when she landed in Brazil in late 1968. During the trip, the Queen wore a striking jewelry set made of Brazilian aquamarine, gifted to her in 1953 by the Brazilian president and added to over time. The monarch also attended a football match between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and presented the winner’s trophy to Brazilian footballer Pele.

October 18-25, 1971

On the first of two trips to Turkey -- the second took place in 2008 -- the Queen visited the Gallipoli peninsula to remember the Allied soldiers who died there during World War I. The monarch also explored the ruins of the ancient Greek empire city of Ephesus. A media highlight of the visit came when she was photographed leaping ashore from a barge, after disembarking from her ship, the Royal Yacht Britannia.

February 10-15, 1972

Accompanied by Prince Philip and daughter Princess Anne, the Queen was greeted on arrival in Bangkok by a carpet of flower petals. The monarch was given a golden key to the city of Bangkok, attended a state banquet and visited Bang Pa-In Palace, the Thai royal family’s summer residence, north of the capital.

October 17-21, 1972

The Queen’s visit to Yugoslavia was her first trip to a communist country. The Central European country no longer exists -- the areas that the Queen visited are now part of Croatia. During her trip, she met Yugoslav political leader Josip Broz Tito and traveled on his famous Blue Train.

February 15-16, 1974

New hebrides (now vanuatu).

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Pacific island archipelago of Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, in 1974. It’s said the royal couple’s visit to Vanuatu may have strengthened the belief among some locals on Tanna island that the Duke of Edinburgh was a divine being.

February 24-March 1, 1975

On her first of two visits to Mexico, the Queen toured ancient sites -- including the pyramids of Uxmal, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monarch also received local crafts, met school children and attended a banquet. While she was driven through Mexico City, the Queen was showered in confetti.

February 17-20, 1979

Saudi arabia.

In 1979, the Queen became the first female head of state to visit Saudi Arabia, on a tour of Gulf States. At Riyadh Airport, she was met by King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, pictured. The outfits she wore on the trip were carefully designed in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s conservative dress code for women. The Queen arrived on a British Airways supersonic Concorde aircraft and during the visit attended camel races and toured the National Museum.

October 26-27, 1982

The Queen visited Tuvalu, a group of nine islands in the South Pacific, in 1982. Upon arrival, the Queen and Prince Philip were carried in a flower-filled canoe from sea to shore. Thirty years later, in 2012, Prince William visited Tuvalu with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, who drank a coconut from a tree planted by Queen Elizabeth on this 1982 visit.

February 26 – March 6, 1983

On a star-studded trip to the United States, the Queen toured the 20th Century-Fox studios in Hollywood with then-First Lady Nancy Reagan and met Frank Sinatra, who she’d previously met in the 1950s, at a party given in her honor. The Queen and Prince Philip also visited Yosemite National Park in California, pictured.

November 10-14, 1983

The Queen returned to Kenya in 1983 for a state visit. When she was there 31 years previously, she'd learned that her father had passed away and she had become Britain’s reigning monarch. In 1983, the Queen and Prince Philip revisited the Treetops hotel, pictured, where they were staying at the time she was told the news.

October 12-18, 1986

The Queen’s trip to China was the first -- and, so far, only -- state visit by a British monarch to China. With Prince Philip by her side, the Queen visited the Great Wall of China, pictured, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing.

October 17-20, 1994

In 1994, in another royal first, the Queen visited Russia. Over the three-day trip, the Queen met Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, pictured here with the monarch outside St Basil’s Cathedral, as well as Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The Queen also attended the Bolshoi Ballet. In her traditional Christmas Day speech broadcast later that year, the Queen reflected on how times had changed, noting she “never thought it would be possible in [her] lifetime” to attend a service in Moscow’s famous cathedral.

March 19-25, 1995

South africa.

In 1994, after apartheid ended, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic. The following year, the Queen traveled there, in a visit designed to renew ties between the two countries. The Queen met with President Nelson Mandela, pictured, and presented him with the Order of Merit.

October 12-18, 1997

The Queen visited India for the third time in 1997, her first public engagement since Princess Diana’s funeral just weeks before. The trip marked 50 years since India’s independence from Britain. Most memorably, the monarch visited the site of the Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, of April 13, 1919. She also expressed regret at a state banquet in New Delhi for the “distressing” episode in which British soldiers gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians. The gesture was seen by some as inadequate. “The Queen is doing everything she can to make India like her. But so far it does not seem to be working,” wrote the UK’s Independent newspaper at the time.

October 4-15, 2002

The Queen visited Canada many times. In 2002, her trip to the North American country coincided with her Golden Jubilee festivities, celebrating 50 years of her reign. During the trip, the Queen attended an ice hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks, and dropped the ceremonial puck.

March 11-16, 2006

The Queen visited Australia 16 times as Head of State. In 2006, she traveled to Melbourne to open the Commonwealth Games. She was greeted by a welcoming party in Canberra, visited the Sydney Opera House, attended a Commonwealth Day service in St. Andrew’s Cathedral and toured Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia.

May 17-20, 2011

The Queen’s trip to Dublin was the first time a British monarch had set foot in the Irish Republic since its 1922 independence. At Dublin Castle the Queen delivered a well-received speech on the history of Anglo-Irish relations. In County Tipperary, she also toured the medieval Rock of Cashel, pictured, once a seat of power for Ireland’s ancient kings.

November 26-28, 2015

From 1949 to 1951, before she was Queen, Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived in Malta. In 2015, the monarch paid her last visit to the island, touring the Grand Harbour in a Maltese fishing boat and waving to members of the British Royal Navy.

United Kingdom

In the later years of her reign, the Queen cut back on foreign travel, passing on the mantle to the younger royals. In more recent years, royal tours have also been looked at with more skeptical eyes, as Britain reckons with its colonial past.

While she didn't travel abroad in the later years of her reign, the Queen continued to vacation in the UK. Most notably, the Queen’s ties with Scotland remained strong throughout her reign and her residence there, Balmoral Castle, was a favorite refuge. It was at Balmoral that the Queen died on September 8, 2022.

How Many Times Has Queen Elizabeth Visited America?

Queen Elizabeth II  is a world traveler, as she's made thousands of appearances since taking the throne in 1952, according to Reuters. Because of her status, she cannot just hop in a car and drive to her destination — there are certain royal protocols in place.

The queen is reportedly a fan of taking the train, regularly boarding at King's Cross in London and disembarking at Norfolk's King's Lynn station to kick off her Christmas break every year, per Town & Country. Elizabeth also has two helicopters in operation in case she wants to avoid traffic. If the queen is traveling by car, however, she prefers her Bentley State Limousine.

When it comes to traveling, the queen takes a few items to make her journey more pleasant. Elizabeth reportedly never travels without barley sugar candies to combat jet lag, per The Independent . She packs a black outfit in case of tragedy, and even brings along her own toilet paper, according to The Telegraph . Outfit choices are also important, so the queen reportedly packs around 30 options. She has also used the same suitcases since 1947 and writes "The Queen" on her luggage tags, per The Express .

Although the queen scaled back her traveling schedule due to coronavirus restrictions, have you ever wondered how many times she visited America? Keep reading for more details.

Queen Elizabeth II visited the United States six times

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made six visits total to the United States, according to The Newport Daily News . A notable visit included the Bicentennial Celebration in July 1976 where they met president Gerald Ford and his wife Betty in Newport, Rhode Island. During their seven-day tour, the queen and Philip also stopped in Philadelphia and Boston.

She made numerous other visits to America, per the White House archives. Her first visit was in 1951 with the late Duke of Edinburgh before she became queen. The White House was due for some upgrades at the time, so she stayed with President Harry Truman and his family. Her next visit came in 1957, "to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607." In true royal fashion, she traveled by motorcade as hundreds lined the streets in poor weather to catch a glimpse of the queen.

Elizabeth also visited America in 1983, this time at President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan's Rancho Del Cielo in Santa Barbara, California. The queen ditched her traditional tea for enchiladas and refried beans, and later enjoyed a state dinner in San Francisco. She crossed the pond yet again in 1991 and planted a tree on the South Lawn of the White House. In 2007, she returned for the 400th anniversary of the English settlement in Jamestown. She also visited the World War II Memorial with President Bush and his father George H.W. Bush. Perhaps she will hop the pond again when she can safely travel once more.

Looking Back at Queen Elizabeth II's Visits to NYC Through the Years

Take a look at Queen Elizabeth's visits to the tri-state area over the years.

Published September 9, 2022 • Updated on September 9, 2022 at 12:38 pm

Queen Elizabeth II passed away Thursday at the age of 96, prompting a wave of worldwide mourning and tributes for the monarch who reigned for seven decades.

During the years as head of the British Royal Family, Queen Elizabeth traveled the world many times over, including visiting the tristate area -- particularly New York City -- on numerous occasions.

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II'S FIRST VISIT TO NYC (1957)

Queen Elizabeth II visited New York City in 1957 -- five years after her accession to the throne when she was just 25 years old. The queen was met with a motorcade and a ticker-tape parade as she traveled down Fifth Avenue. It was during this Royal Tour that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the top of the Empire State Building. ( The building lit up in purple and silver in honor of the queen Thursday evening. )

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II VISITS TRI-STATE AREA TO CELEBRATE BICENTENNIAL OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1976)

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During her world travels,  Queen Elizabeth made a brief trip to Connecticut as well as to New York City in July 1976 as part of the celebration of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution.

During Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to New York City, they visited the New York Stock Exchange and managed to squeeze in a visit to Bloomingdale's. She was even named an honorary citizen of the city.

Documentation of the visit is maintained by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.

On the night of Friday, July 9, 1976,  Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, set sail on the HMY Britannia from New York to New Haven .

The  New York Times website  has a story from the Associated Press from July 11, 1976, which says 50,000 people lined the docks, streets and the airport in New Haven for a glimpse of the queen’s 40‐minute visit.

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S 2010 VISIT INCLUDES TRIBUTE TO 9/11 VICTIMS

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's 2010 visit to New York City was the culmination of an 8-day tour of Canada. A day before heading back to England, the queen addressed the United Nations. Before this, she last addressed the UN in 1957.

The queen's trip was an emotional one, as Her Majesty and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh visited Ground Zero and paid their respects to the lives lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and laid a wreath at the site of the World Trade Center.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh also visited The British Garden in Hanover Square located in the Financial District. The garden stands as a memorial memorial to the British who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Two years later, the garden was renamed "The Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden, Inc.” as the memorial for all the Commonwealth victims of the 9/11 attacks and honoring Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.

This article tagged under:

When Queen Elizabeth Visited Boston: Redcoats, the Royal Wave and American Cheering

British soldiers dressed in the red coats that were infamous during the time of the american revolution stood once again by massachusetts' old state house when the queen visited in 1976, by asher klein • published september 8, 2022 • updated on september 8, 2022 at 4:14 pm.

In her long time on the throne of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II visited Boston once, for an event marking a very crucial event in American history.

For her third visit to the United States, Elizabeth attended the Bicentennial ceremonies in 1976, and ended her trip where the country began: in Boston.

STAY IN THE KNOW

Images from the time show her smiling as she walked through the streets with then-Mayor Kevin White. British soldiers dressed in the red coats that were infamous during the time of the American Revolution stood once again by Massachusetts' Old State House.

Tens of thousands of people came out to see Elizabeth and Prince Philip, The Boston Globe reported at the time.

"Everytime the queen smiled or let free one of her white gloved hands, barely bending the wrist fluttering regal waves, people responded in turn with beaming smiles, prolonged applause and an occasional American, but very un-British cheer," Robert Rosenthal and Nick King wrote.

But there were protests as well. As British soldiers marched in review past City Hall, demonstrators held up signs. Some read, "England: Get out of Ireland NOW!" and "No surrender to British imperialism."

Elizabeth was being remembered Thursday around the U.S. and the globe after her death at the age of 96. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu shared an image of the monarch in City Hall, which was then just seven years old, and called her an inspiration for her "grace & steadfast leadership."

Boston mourns the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whose grace & steadfast leadership have inspired generations around the world. Our hearts are with her family, loved ones & the people of the UK. pic.twitter.com/d8YG7sRYTN — Mayor Michelle Wu 吳弭 (@MayorWu) September 8, 2022

Elizabeth would make six trips to the United States in her 70-year reign. During the visit for the bicentennial, when she was 50 years old, she also stopped in Philadelphia, New York City, Charlottesville, Newport and Providence.

American's Bicentennial Celebration was a national party marking 200 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At a state dinner at the White House, Elizabeth and President Gerald Ford shared a dance.

After Boston, the queen traveled to Canada, where she opened the Montreal Olympics.

More on Queen Elizabeth II

Queen elizabeth ii, britain's longest-serving monarch, dies at age 96.

Operation Unicorn: Here's What Happens Now That Queen Elizabeth Has Died

‘Historic Reign': Local Officials React to the News of Queen Elizabeth II's Death

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This article tagged under:

Queen Elizabeth's U.S. Visits

Harold Evans witnesses Her Majesty’s trip to New York City today, the queen’s seventh visit to America during her six-decade reign. From White House state dinners to a tour of Yosemite, VIEW OUR GALLERY of her past jaunts across the pond.

Hank Walker / Time Life Pictures / Getty Images,Hank Walker.

The Inaugural Visit, 1957

Hank walker / time life pictures / getty images.

Her Majesty Takes Manhattan, 1957

Chicago Banquet, 1959

Edward kitch / ap photo.

St. Lawrence Seaway Opening, 1959

Express newspapers / getty images.

Gerald Ford Welcomes the Queen, 1976

White house / gerald r. ford library / ap photo.

Her Majesty Takes Manhattan, Part Deux, 1976

Ronald Reagan Toasts the Queen, 1983

Yosemite National Park, 1983

Walt zeboski / ap photo.

Speaking Before Congress, 1991

Doug mills / ap photo.

The Queen and Bush, 1991

Dennis cook / ap photo.

Her Majesty's Most Recent Visit, 2007

Pa photos / landov.

Meet Virginia, 2007

Eva russo / ap photo, read this list.

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The Visit of Queen Elizabeth II

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Etiquette Advice Abounds Amid Queen's Visit

May 7, 2007 • Queen Elizabeth II's six-day visit to the U.S., her first official trip to the country since 1991, has spawned a cottage industry of royal etiquette advice.

Beleaguered Bush Hosts Queen, Wins French Ally

May 7, 2007 • President Bush's popularity is flagging, but he is playing host to the very popular Queen Elizabeth II, and has a new ally in France. Here's a look at what might be in store for President Bush.

Queen, Street Sense Thrill Derby Spectators

May 6, 2007 • On the latest stop of her six-day state visit, England's Queen Elizabeth II attended the annual running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. She witnessed one of the more exciting Derby's of recent years, with horse Street Sense moving from 19th position to the front to win the race.

Will the Queen Make a Derby Fashion Statement?

May 5, 2007 • Queen Elizabeth II is recognized for her collection of hats. And her appearance at the Kentucky Derby will once again put her choice of headgear on public display.

Queen Elizabeth II Makes Derby Pilgrimage

May 5, 2007 • Typically the talk at the Kentucky Derby is about what horse will win, and whether the winning horse can take the Triple Crown. But this year the biggest gossip is all about Britian's Queen Elizabeth II. An avid horsewoman, she was at Churchill Downs for the race.

Reporter's Notebook

The queen's visit to virginia.

May 5, 2007 • Britain's Queen Elizabeth II visits the United States for the celebration in Virginia of the 400th anniversary of the 1607 founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World. She also paid tribute to the Virginia Tech shooting victims.

Queen Elizabeth Tours Virginia

May 4, 2007 • In her first visit to the U.S. in more than a decade, England's Queen Elizabeth II is expected to tour Jamestown and Williamsburg, Va., Friday. She last visited America in 1991.

Queen Elizabeth's Trip Includes Visit to Tech Victims

May 3, 2007 • Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is in the United States for a weeklong state visit to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent British colony in America. In Richmond, Va., the queen spoke this afternoon at the state capitol about the long friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Queen Seeks to Fly 'Green' on U.S. Visit

May 3, 2007 • As Queen Elizabeth II begins her state visit to the United States, she will pay $20,000 for a "carbon offset." That's a fee paid to compensate for the carbon that her flights across the Atlantic and around America will spew into the air. The money will go towards a project to reduce greenhouse gases.

Jamestown's Early Days Were Brutish and Short

May 3, 2007 • This month marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in North America. Many historians see Jamestown as the birthplace of modern America. Was the original colony really a success?

Queen Elizabeth Prepares for Her American Visit

May 2, 2007 • Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will arrive in the United States on Thursday for a state visit that centers on the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Va. — the first permanent English settlement on American soil. The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, will attend the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

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This Day In History : June 7

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King George VI becomes the first British monarch to visit the U.S.

King George VI becomes the first reigning British monarch to visit the United States when he and his wife, Elizabeth, cross the Canadian-U.S. border to Niagara Falls , New York. The royal couple subsequently visited New York City and Washington, D.C., where they called for a greater U.S. role in resolving the crisis in Europe. On June 12, they returned to Canada, where they embarked on their voyage home.

George, who studied at Dartmouth Naval College and served in World War I , ascended to the throne after his elder brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated on December 11, 1936. Edward, who was the first English monarch to voluntarily relinquish the English throne, agreed to give up his title in the face of widespread criticism of his desire to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson , an American divorcee.

During World War II , King George worked to keep up British morale by visiting bombed areas and touring war zones. George and Elizabeth also remained in bomb-damaged Buckingham Palace during the war, shunning the relative safety of the countryside, and George made a series of important morale-boosting radio broadcasts, for which he overcame a speech impediment.

After the war, the royal family visited South Africa, but a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand had to be postponed indefinitely when the king fell ill in 1949. Despite his illness, he continued to perform state duties until his death in 1952. He was succeeded by his first-born daughter, who was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.

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A royal visit to the city that was once called new amsterdam.

Among other stops in New York, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will tour an exhibit focused on 400 years of Dutch history.

By James Barron

Good morning. It’s Thursday. We’ll get details of a royal visit to New York City. We’ll also find out what Mayor Eric Adams said when asked about pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

They did not arrive in the United States the way many couples do — the husband, who has a pilot’s license, was in the cockpit of the Boeing 737 jet, serving as the co-pilot for at least part of the flight from Europe.

Still, on their outing in New York City today, the pair, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, will do what many tourists do. They will stroll along the High Line and go to a museum.

But they said the trip had a purpose — emphasizing ties between the Netherlands and the United States and strengthening economic connections. The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis showed that the Netherlands ranked third in direct investment in the United States with $617.1 billion at the end of 2022, after Japan ($712 billion) and the United Kingdom ($663.4 billion).

So the royals’ itinerary includes a midday event at the Brooklyn Navy Yard about business startups and ways to accelerate clean technology .

They will also go on a tour of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, where they will “discuss urban challenges such as climate action, affordable housing and societal resilience” with community leaders, according to the Dutch government. Their day will end with a reception at Hudson Yards in Manhattan; the king and Mayor Eric Adams are expected to speak there.

The trip is not the royals’ first visit to New York. Willem-Alexander and Máxima visited in 2009, when he was the crown prince (he ascended to the throne in 2013). Máxima had lived in New York from 1996 to 2000 when she was an investment banker.

They arrived in New York City after two days in Georgia and one in Albany. (Willem-Alexander flew the plane there, too, according to a spokeswoman for the Netherlands Embassy in Washington.) Willem-Alexander’s focus was on jobs during a session at a nanotechnology center in Albany that describes itself as the largest nonprofit semiconductor research-and-development facility in the country . Willem-Alexander was all business in his brief remarks there, saying that trade with the Netherlands accounted for 57,000 jobs in New York State.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said that “New York became what it is because of the Dutch” and mentioned names like Brooklyn and the New York Knicks that have Dutch roots. She also referred to the Schuyler mansion in Albany, where Elizabeth Schuyler grew up. Of the three daughters in the household — familiar to theatergoers who’ve seen “Hamilton” — she was the one who married the man whose portrait is on the $10 bill.

Later, as the king looked on, Hochul and a Dutch trade official signed a memorandum of understanding that confirmed shared interests in advancing semiconductor research and development.

Today, after their stops in Brooklyn, Willem-Alexander and Máxima will walk through an exhibition commemorating 400 years of Dutch history in New York at the New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side. The exhibition includes a 1626 letter that describes the “purchase” of Manhattan from Native Americans for 60 guilders, which later was said to have been $24.

The exhibition also includes a letter from three chiefs of contemporary Lenape communities whose ancestors lived in Manhattan when the Dutch arrived with hopes of establishing a Dutch republic in North America. And the exhibition displays a map of New Amsterdam, called the Castello Plan, that was painted around 1660, long before Peter Stuyvesant surrendered to the British.

So what do you say when a king and queen cross the threshold?

“I’m going to invite them to have a look at Dutch history, beginning at the very beginning,” said Louise Mirrer, the president and chief executive of the historical society .

“What’s eye-opening is to see evidence that the Dutch actually did believe they had purchased Manhattan from the Lenape,” she said. “The letter really says something about how cultures can understand each other incorrectly, or misunderstand one another. Obviously, history bore out how the misunderstanding was disadvantageous to the Lenape.”

Enjoy a sunny day in the mid-80s. The evening should be mostly clear, with temperatures in the low 70s.

ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING

In effect until Monday (Eid al-Adha).

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Curbing broker fees : A majority of the City Council supports a bill that would transfer the cost of most broker fees from renters to landlords .

Controversy at a NYCHA playground : Signs put up at Wise Towers say the playground is for residents only. There have been tense encounters with some neighbors on the wealthy, liberal Upper West Side .

Menendez trial : Philip Sellinger, New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor, testified in the bribery trial of Senator Robert Menendez, his onetime close friend, fund-raiser and political ally .

Move to fight the halt of congestion pricing : The New York City comptroller, Brad Lander, and a group of stakeholders have developed a legal strategy to try to overturn Gov. Kathy Hochul’s shutdown of the Midtown toll program .

What we’re watching : Stefanos Chen, a Metro reporter for The New York Times, will discuss the current state of congestion pricing on “The New York Times Close Up With Sam Roberts,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. [ CUNY TV ].

Embezzlement charge : Prosecutors say that the head of the charity Modest Needs crowdsourced donations for the poor but spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at high-end restaurants .

Selling firearms through Telegram : Manhattan prosecutors say that a Texas man operated through a white-supremacist channel on Telegram that they discovered after the racist massacre in Buffalo two years ago.

Arts & Culture

Fake bags on display but not for sale : A new exhibition on the corner of Broadway and Canal Street that looks like a store is meant to draw attention to the prevalence of “superfake” handbags .

Celebrations for two New York icons : The Apollo Theater celebrated its 90th anniversary and a Tribeca Film Festival dinner celebrated artists and one of its co-founders, Robert De Niro .

Adams praised a reporter’s ‘summer body’

Mayor Eric Adams told a journalist who asked him about pro-Palestinian demonstrations that it looked as if he had been working out and complimented the reporter’s “summer body.”

One of the mayor’s top female advisers, sitting nearby at City Hall, shook her head in disbelief. Another deputy mayor looked down and covered her eyes.

My colleague Emma G. Fitzsimmons writes that the remark was not unusual for Adams. He often comments on people’s physical appearance or clothing. And while he speaks proudly about the number of top cabinet officials who are women, he has also made the point to note that they lead while wearing Christian Louboutin shoes, with their signature red-soled heels.

This was not the first time that Adams had singled out the reporter he said had a “summer body” — Pete Cuddihy, an intern at Fox News. At a news conference in March, when Cuddihy asked about the city’s housing crisis, the mayor said, “I like that turtleneck — people don’t wear turtlenecks anymore.”

A spokeswoman for Fox News sent a statement from Cuddihy that said: “Speaking only about my interaction on June 11 with Mayor Adams, I felt his comments towards me were friendly, and I did not feel uncomfortable.”

Adams is far from the only notable elected official who has been criticized for making comments that seem inappropriate. President Biden has made remarks about people’s physical appearance; Donald Trump often mocks people’s physical appearance and was found liable in a civil trial for sexually abusing the writer E. Jean Carroll. And the Justice Department found that Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, subjected female employees to a “sexually hostile work environment,” made unwanted comments and gave preferential treatment to some employees based on their physical appearance.

Adams, a Democrat, was himself accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a colleague in 1993 when he was a police officer.

Fabien Levy, a deputy mayor and Adams’s chief spokesman, said the mayor “would never intentionally make someone feel uncomfortable. He’s a warm and engaging person who talks to New Yorkers the way any regular New Yorker speaks to one another.”

METROPOLITAN diary

Dear Diary:

Anyone who lived or worked in Midtown Manhattan in the 1970s and ’80s knew Gene Palma as the guy who “played” Sixth Avenue. He even had a cameo in “Taxi Driver.”

With shoe-polish blackened hair and heavy makeup, Gene would play his drum on the sidewalk. Sometimes, he would bang his sticks on newspaper vending machines, or sit on the curb and play the street itself.

In the winter, to avoid the frigid north wind that swept down the avenues, he would move onto the side streets. Once, when I saw him on 52nd Street, I asked why he moved onto the side streets every winter.

“The sound’s better,” he said.

— Jace Weaver

Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here .

Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B.

P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee . You can find all our puzzles here .

Melissa Guerrero and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at [email protected].

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.

James Barron writes the New York Today newsletter, a morning roundup of what’s happening in the city. More about James Barron

Queen Camilla receives stunning handbag on Japanese state visit as royals exchange gifts

Queen Camilla has received a stunning new handbag in an exchange of gifts with the Emperor and Empress of Japan who have begun their state visit to Britain . King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted their guests on Horse Guards Parade on Tuesday (June 25) before some of the nation's most prestigious regiments.

As part of the three day visit, the heads of state and their wives exchanged presents, including a signed photo of Charles and Camilla in a silver frame engraved with their joint cypher presented by the King to Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

King Charles gave Emperor Naruhito a pair of silver and gold beakers by British goldsmith and Royal Warrant holder, House of Benney. The trinkets were commissioned to feature the Imperial Seal and King Charles's cypher .

Charles also gave his Japanese counterpart a bottle of artisanal small batch release single malt Scotch Whisky from the Japanese owned Aberdeenshire distillery, Glen Garioch.

Camilla gave Empress Masako a handmade fan designed by the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers which includes Japanese and British symbols for good luck. Featuring Camilla's crimson "Ramanas" rose and cypher, the fan includes sticks carved from a plane tree branch which fell in St James's Park.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako presented the King and Queen with their own signed photograph, also in a silver frame but displaying the Japanese Imperial House's chrysanthemum crest.

The Emperor also gave the King a Wajima Lacquerware Box while the Empress presented Camilla with a Saga Nishiki brocade handbag.

Besides the lavish gifts, the heads of state bestowed honours upon one another, with King Charles appointing Emperor Naruhito to the Most Noble Order of the Garter, which is the highest order of chivalry in Britain.

The Emperor presented the King with Japan's highest order, the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.

During the first day of their visit, the Emperor and Empress viewed a display of Japanese items from the Royal Collection in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace.

Objects included the first history of Japan to be written in English, first published in 1727 and part of George III's library at Windsor.

Other items displayed were a writing set presented to Prince Alfred and a letter to Queen Victoria in which he shares details of his visit to the country in 1869, the first foreign royal visitor to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

An urushi lacquer box by Japanese artist Shirayama Shsai given to Queen Elizabeth II as a Coronation gift from Emperor Shwa was also on display.

The state visit began with Prince William escorting the Emperor and Empress from their overnight residence to Horse Guards Parade.

Waiting on the parade ground was a guard of honour formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards which, when not performing ceremonial duties, is made up of fighting soldiers.

They were joined on parade by the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry with their magnificent Shire Drum Horses, leading four divisions of the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

In the distance was the low rumble of a 41-gun royal salute fired from Green Park by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London the same number of volleys was fired by the Honourable Artillery Company.

The Japanese national anthem was played and the Emperor inspected the guard of honour, accompanied by the King, who walked a few paces behind his guest.

Charles wore a morning suit with a top hat, briefly removing his headwear as a mark of respect when he passed the regimental colours.

Watching from the pavilion were the Queen, wearing an Anna Valentine dress and Philip Treacy hat , and the Empress along with waiting dignitaries, including foreign secretary Lord Cameron, Home Secretary James Cleverly and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

At the end of the welcome ceremony was t he traditional carriage procession to Buckingham Palace where a private lunch was held.

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The Surprising Reason Japan's Empress Wore a Face Mask During Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride with British Royals

Empress Masako sported an unexpected accessory as she and Emperor Naruhito were officially welcomed to the U.K., but only for the procession to Buckingham Palace

Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.

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Empress Masako of Japan slipped on an unexpected accessory on the first day of the state visit to the U.K. hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla .

On June 25, the Japanese empress wore a face mask that matched her white ensemble for the horse-drawn carriage ride following the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade which kicked off the trip. Once the group stepped inside Buckingham Palace for lunch and to browse items from the Royal Collection relating to Japan, Empress Masako removed the accessory.

There was a practical reason for wearing the mask outdoors: Empress Masako is allergic to horses, according to royal reporter Rebecca English of the Daily Mail.

The Empress isn't the only one to allegedly be affected by the horses during royal pageantry. Prince Louis , 6, had a hilarious reaction, apparently to the animals' smell, when he briefly held his nose during a carriage ride at Trooping the Colour in June 2023.

PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Maskao, 60, was all smiles sans face mask when the day officially began as Prince William greeted her and her husband, Emperor Naruhito, at their hotel in London. The Prince of Wales, 41, stepped out solo for the key role highlighting his position as heir to the throne, a duty that his wife Kate Middleton has joined him for before. The Princess of Wales, 42, continues to remain outside of the spotlight while receiving cancer treatment . Although she appeared in public for the first time in nearly six months at Trooping the Colour on June 15, it didn't signal a return to work.

"She has been doing what’s right for her and recovering privately at home. She is dealing with it the best she can," a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's cover story . 

Prince William accompanied the Emperor and Empress of Japan to Horse Guards Parade, where they greeted King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, 76, at the ceremonial welcome. 

KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty 

Presentations were made, the Guard of Honour gave a Royal Salute and the Japanese national anthem was played. King Charles and Emperor Naruhito, 64, then inspected a Guard of Honour formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards (of which Prince William serves as honorary colonel ) before the carriage ride along The Mall in London, decorated with Japanese and Union Jack flags, to Buckingham Palace.

State visits are an important part of the British royal family’s diplomatic duties, organized to strengthen relationships with other nations around the world. The incoming state visit from Japan was announced in late April as part of King Charles' return to public duties amid his cancer treatment . 

Peter Nicholls/Getty

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On June 4, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the state visit would be held from June 25 to June 27, ending speculation around the plans in light of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's May 22 announcement of a general election on July 4. At the time, the palace said the royals would postpone outings "which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign." Members of the British royal family are constitutionally non-political and usually leave the public space during campaigns to focus public attention on the election and the issues it presents.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The Emperor and Empress of Japan arrived in England on June 22 for a series of private engagements before the state visit officially kicked off on June 25.

The British royals will reconvene with the Emperor and Empress for a state banquet at the palace tonight.

The glam occasion might mean a tiara moment for Queen Camilla, though Princess Anne is not expected to attend after being hospitalized following an accident at her country home on June 23.

Related Articles

Police stop dad accused of trying to drown his 2 kids at Connecticut beach

WEST HAVEN, Conn. — A father trying to drown his two small children at a Connecticut beach early Saturday morning was thwarted by police officers, according to authorities.

An officer spotted an SUV parked on a beach in West Haven at about 2:30 a.m. and heard “significant screaming” from the water as he approached. As the officer entered the water, the man continued to drift further away with the two children while screaming, “Stay back,” according to a social media post by the West Haven Police Department .

It had become obvious that the man “was deliberately drowning his children,” according to the post.

Responding officers went out nearly 100 yards from shore and were joined by other rescuers on a fire boat.

The first officer to arrive was able to take the children, and other officers helped get them to shore. Lifesaving measures were provided to the children and they were taken to a hospital, where they remained in intensive care on Saturday, according to police.

The man was in custody. It was not clear Saturday if he had an attorney.

“It is without a doubt the swift response by our patrol officers saved the lives of these children,” police said in the post.

A call seeking information on possible charges and additional details was made to police. The incident remains under investigation.

The Associated Press

UK's King Charles welcomes Japan's Emperor Naruhito for state visit

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WikiLeaks founder Assange freed by U.S. court after guilty plea

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was freed by a court on the U.S. Pacific island territory of Saipan on Wednesday after pleading guilty to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that will see him return home to Australia.