Royal Watch News

Queen Elizabeth to meet Obama

Apr 1, 2009, 10:50 GMT

Britain's Queen Elizabeth will meet US President Barack Obama today (01.04.09).

The 47-year-old head of state - who is in the UK to take part in the G20 summit of world leaders - will travel to the monarch's London residence Buckingham Palace, where he will enter via the discreet Garden Gate.

The queen and her husband Prince Philip are expected to greet the president and his wife Michelle Obama in the grounds of the palace.

They will wait by the private apartments, after which the 82-year-old monarch, Philip and Obama will retire to one of the palace's private rooms to talk for around 25 minutes.

The move marks a break from tradition, as US Presidents usually only meet the monarch when they are completing an official state visit.

The president and First Lady landed at Stansted last night (31.03.09), where they waved at crowds of well-wishers from the steps of their private plane Air Force One.

This will be Obama's first meeting with a monarch, while the queen has previously met 11 US presidents - including President Harry Truman in 1951, who she met when she was still Princess Elizabeth.

Her second meeting was with President Dwight Eisenhower, although it was not the first time she had seen him.

In 1944, Elizabeth's parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth forgot they had organised a tour of Windsor Castle for the president and his workers.

The family was in the garden enjoying the sunny weather when they heard the group approaching, and were so embarrassed they hid behind a hedge until they had moved on.