DAY 1:
It’s a right royal welcome as US President Barack Obama begins state visit to Great Britain. He and his wife Michelle arrived in the Presidential limousine known as The Beast, which pulled into the front of Buckingham Palace just before noon. They are greeted by the Queen and Prince Philip ahead of a state banquet this evening and a meeting with David Cameron.
The Obamas with Her Majesty & the Duke of Edinburgh
After the meeting of the heads of state, the Obamas spent about 20 minutes speaking with Prince William and his new wife Princess Catherine, who have just returned from their Seychelles honeymoon. Kate wore a £175 “Shola” dress from high street chain Reiss. And as of this writing, Reiss’ website has crashed.
The Obamas met newlyweds William & Kate - Duke & Duchess of Cambridge
Then it was off to the Buckingham Palace Gardens for 41-gun salute, a trip to Westminster Abbey, and a meeting with the Prime Minister. Tonight, a state dinner is to be held at Buckingham Palace. President Obama and his family will stay 2 nights at Buckingham Palace’s Belgian suite — the same room where William & Kate stayed on their wedding night.
After a long day of public appearances, President Obama and his wife Michelle were treated to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen. The star-studded banquet saw 171 guests arrive, including actors Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey and Tim Burton and politicians David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Boris Johnson.
The State Banquet, including Obama’s speech
Articles: Daily Mail | Daily Mail (state banquet) | Telegraph | BBC (with video) | The Independent | Sky News
Pictures: Obamas with: The Queen & Prince Philip | Prince Charles & Camilla | William & Kate
Pictures: Day 1 in Pictures
President Obama continues with more political activities today. As a royal site, I shall continue to cover relevant “royally-related” agenda of the state visit.
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- Obamas to Make State Visit to UK
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- Royal Wedding Guest List: Old Flames, the Beckhams, Lots of Royals & Uncle Gary
Spyridon Braoudakis
#1 by Anita on May 25, 2011 - 4:42 am
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Queen Liz, great job on obummer. I want to know why in the world was he and Michelle at the state dinner? Their butts should have been sweeping the kitchen floor, washing dishes, and maybe serving the food. Oh well, I guess you just took pity on the America haters.
#2 by David on May 25, 2011 - 5:43 am
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I dont usually post on websites like this but I have to say your statement that the President and First Lady somehow do not belong at a State Dinner is at best insulting and at worst thinly veiled racism. Barack Obama was elected by a majority of Americans and is the president. Furthermore it would seem that the Queen enjoys their company quite a bit, if you recall the last time they met people were shocked when the Queen reached out and touched the First Ladys’ hand.
#3 by lindag on May 25, 2011 - 11:21 am
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Back to the topic:
The Duchess of Cambridge wows the Obamas – http://tinyurl.com/3vws4aa
Agree that she looks smashing with that tan. No wonder the dress sold out in an hour.
#4 by Sam on May 25, 2011 - 7:17 pm
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Kate’s outfit was nice but I just wish she take more chances with her style. She and Samantha Cameron could really learn a few lessons from Michelle Obama, who’s not afraid of taking risks. The outfit she wore when meeting the royal family was deliberately floral because the Queen loves floral print (even though the dress was a letdown). Furthermore, she chose a American based British designer for her first outfit and then paired an outfit with two respected designer, the dress being British while the coat was American. This reminds me of the time when Michelle wore exclusively American designer who were either born in India or had Indian heritage during the visit of the Indian president. Just like Diana, Michelle puts a lot of effort and consideration into her clothes because she knows that it’s not enough to look nice, she has to look exceptional. That’s why she is a true icon, while Kate and Samantha seem to just throw on whatever is in their closet.
#5 by Tami Tompkins on May 26, 2011 - 3:54 am
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Congrats to Prince William and HRH Katherine. I love the way Kate dresses. I am an American, although going through our anncestory, we came over in the May Flower. If I had the fortune to meet the Queen I would curtsie. I had noticed that on both visits Michelle Obama didn’t do that. She was not respectful at all. I was mortified by President Obama’s slip up. They need proper etiquette training. They have zero etiquette knowledge. I voted Republican in 2008.
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