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President Obama State Visit 2011
President Barack Obama was invited on a State Visit in May 2011. He was only the second president to receive such an invite.
A Royal Welcome
President Barack Obama was invited on a State Visit to the United Kingdom in May 2011. Surprisingly, he was only the second president to receive this honour after George W Bush in 2003.
According to the Royal Family website, State Visits play an integral role in strengthening Britain’s relationships with countries across the world. The guests usually stay in Buckingham Palace and there is a State Banquet with all the trimmings.
The guests will repay the hospitality by hosting a dinner at their Embassy.
Gallery Exhibition
The Obamas inspected a collection of US memorabilia in the Portrait Gallery accompanied by the Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The items on display were gifts given to the royal family from the United States.
The President was presented with a leather-bound book with letters written by Queen Victoria to various US Presidents, from John Quincey Adams to William McKinley. While the First Lady was presented with an antique brooch of a rose made from gold and red coral.
In turn, the President presented the Queen with a leather volume full of photos and other memorabilia of King George VI’s visit to the United States in 1939.
Meeting the Newlyweds
The President and First Lady met the newly married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in The 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace. The Duke and Duchess were married on 29 April 2011 and had only just returned from their honeymoon in the Seychelles.
The 1844 Room was named after the year Tsar Nicholas I visited Buckingham Palace and his portrait used to hang there. Today, the room is decorated with 19th-century blue and gold silk upholstered furniture by Morel & Seddon and a neoclassical desk by famous cabinet maker David Roentgen. The walls are adorned with a blush-hued wallpaper and malachite candelabras.
The Queen greeted many officials in this room and often filmed her Christmas speech here.
Guard of Honour
President Obama inspected the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, the guard of honour, in the palace gardens along with the Duke of Edinburgh. The inspection was accompanied by a 41 gun salute from nearby Green Park.
Beforehand, the battalion had played the US National Anthem in front of the Queen, Prince Philip, President Obama and the First Lady.
State Banquet
The President and First Lady were the guests of honour at a state banquet in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom where the guest list included senior royals, politicians and celebrities from both countries.
The menu included: roulade of sole and watercress accented with crayfish sauce; lamb with seasoned with Windsor basil; sautéed zucchini and radishes, panache mix of green beans; baked apples; fresh green salad. The desserts were vanilla Charlotte with sour cherries and dessert fruits.
The table was set with the silver-gilt Grand Service made for George IV and dessert was served on Minton porcelain plates made for Queen Victoria. The tables were decorated with silver-gilt candelabras and centrepieces with fresh flowers.
Speeches & Toasts
The President and the Queen both made speeches honouring the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States.
President Obama also paid tribute to the Queen’s long reign and her role as a living witness to historical events.
The wines, provided by the Government Wine Cellar at Lancaster House, were Ridgeview Cuvée Merret Fitzrovia Rosé 2004, Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2004, Echézeaux Grand Cru 1990, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Vintage Rich 2002 and Royal Vintage Port 1963.
US Embassy Dinner
The President hosted a dinner at Winfield House, the official residence of the US ambassador, in honour of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Winfield House is a Grade II listed building which once belonged to heiress Barbara Hutton. She sold it to the US Government for a dollar so they could use it as their embassy.
The menu consisted of lobster ravioli; Norfolk samphire; griddled filet of aged Highland beef; crushed Jersey royals with rosemary, asparagus and minted bread beans; classic pecan pie and brandy ice cream.
The wines served were Kistler Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay 2006, Stags’ Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and Iron Horse Vineyards Cuvée 2005.
Other meetings
First Meeting 2009
The Queen first met President Obama and the First Lady in April 2009 when they came to London not long after Obama was elected as president. It was the start of a warm friendship.
The visit became notorious for the time Michelle Obama broke royal protocol when she gently embraced the Queen around the waist at a reception, however the Queen reciprocated in kind and it was real bonding moment.
A later private visit to London would see Michelle Obama and her daughters invited to have lunch with the Queen which included an impromptu carriage ride for Sasha and Malia.
Final Presidential Visit
Barack and Michelle made their last presidential visit to London in April 2016 where they had lunch with the Queen to wish her a Happy 90th Birthday.
The Obamas arrived by helicopter to Windsor Castle and the Queen insisted the couple travel alone with them to Buckingham Palace which incited some nervous flutterings from the US Secret Service but who was going to argue with the Queen?
After this visit, the Queen often asked her courtiers to arrange private visits with the couple once Barack was no longer president. It is not known whether this ever came to fruition but there was no doubting the Queen’s fondness for the Obamas.
Adorable Prince George
As well as having lunch with the Queen, the Obamas had an informal dinner at Kensington Palace with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Two-year-old Prince George got to stay up late to thank them for the rocking horse which had been a gift from them on his first birthday. The picture of a pyjama-clad Prince George shaking hands with the President went viral.
The young prince also had a stuffed dog which had been a gift from the Obamas. The toy is a replica of the Obama family dog, Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog.
Meanwhile, George’s baby sister, Charlotte, was fast asleep in the nursery.