The Queen’s US Presidents in charge during her record 70 years as monarch Bedford News

The Queen, who ascended the throne in 1952 and is currently the world’s longest-serving monarch, has played a major role in maintaining “special” diplomatic relations between the UK and the US.

In her 70 years on the throne, she’s seen fourteen American presidents come and go – but what kind of relationship did she have with each of them? Steve Cain has the answers.

When Elizabeth met Harry Truman in 1951, she was still a princess. However, her father, King George VI, was so ill at the time that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip represented the king on an official trip to America when she was just 25.

The two-day trip may have been brief, but the royal couple won the hearts of the American people and their president. Truman said, “Never before have we had such a wonderful young couple, who so completely captured the hearts of all of us.”

Elizabeth made her first official visit to America as Queen in 1957. She had met Eisenhower, a friend of her parents, when she was still a princess. During the visit, she attended a state dinner at the White House, for which Eisenhower wore his British Order of Merit.

Two years later, the Queen hosted Eisenhower at Balmoral and shared her recipe for toasted scones with him. Their relationship was close and they corresponded by letter for years.

President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy were invited to a State Dinner at Buckingham Palace just months after his inauguration in June 1961. The Queen reportedly felt ‘overshadowed’ by the First Lady but enjoyed a warm relationship with President. After his assassination, Elizabeth established a physical memorial and scholarship fund in honor of Kennedy.

Johnson was the only president to never meet the Queen. Although they corresponded from March 1964 to July 1967, Queen Elizabeth never sent Johnson an invitation to visit the United Kingdom; and Johnson never sent the Queen an invitation to visit the United States.

In 1969 Nixon paid an informal visit to the UK, where he was a guest of the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

He reportedly attempted to match his daughter, Tricia, with eligible Prince Charles.

In 1976, the Queen took a trip to the United States shortly after the 200th anniversary of America’s declaration of independence from Britain.

President Ford and First Lady Betty Ford hosted a State Dinner in honor of the Queen. A misstep was made when Ford asked the Queen to dance – as the band performed The Lady Is A Tramp.

The Queen hosted Carter and other heads of state in May 1977, at a NATO summit.

Carter broke royal protocol when he planted a full kiss on the Queen Mother’s lips during a dinner party at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen Mother said: ‘no one has done this since my husband died’.

The Queen reportedly had close ties to Reagan and his wife, Nancy. The couple became the first

The US President and First Lady will spend the night at Windsor Castle during an official state visit in June 1982.

Both the Queen and President Reagan enjoyed horseback riding, and Reagan is said to have admired Elizabeth’s life of service to her country and her sensible, unassuming style.

In 1989, the Queen granted Reagan an honorary knighthood in recognition of his assistance to Britain during the Falklands conflict.

The Queen and President George HW Bush seemed relaxed in each other’s company.

During a trip to the United States in 1991, the Queen gave a speech on the White House lawn, but all that could be seen of her above the lectern was her hat.

The blunder was called “Podiumgate” and, by all accounts, it was a source of enormous amusement for Her Majesty.

The first of many meetings between the Queen and President Clinton took place in 1994 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day.

The President and First Lady Hillary Clinton spent the night on the Royal Yacht Britannia. During the negotiations of the peace process in Northern Ireland, the queen and Clinton will meet several times.

Clinton said of the Queen: “Her Majesty impressed me as a person who, but for the circumstances of her birth, might have become a successful politician or diplomat. In fact, she had to be both, without really looking like it.

The Queen first met President George W Bush during his six-day tour of Europe in 2001. However, two years later he became the first US President to make an official state visit to the UK. United.

This led to over 100,000 protesters taking to the streets to oppose the war in Iraq. In 2007, the Queen mocked the President when he incorrectly said she visited the United States in 1776 (instead of 1976) to mark America’s bicentenary.

The Queen has enjoyed a warm relationship with President Obama and his wife, Michelle.

During his presidency, Obama and the First Lady made five trips to Britain and, on his 90th birthday, he said the Queen “is one of my favorite people”.

President Trump has been accused of committing a number of royal faux pas during his 2018 UK visit, including being late for a meeting at Windsor Castle, turning his back on the Queen and walk in front of her, and shake her hand instead. to bow.

The Queen maintained a true British “stiff upper lip” throughout.

The Queen met President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for the first time, in June 2021, at the G7 summit in Cornwall.

However, she had already sent a congratulatory message to the president before his inauguration.

Biden said of the Queen: “She was very generous. I don’t think she would be insulted but she reminded me of my mother. She was very kind.