London (CNN) He may not have been toting a cupcake with a candle, but President Barack Obama nonetheless made a showy entrance to Windsor Castle on Friday for a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday.
Obama was kicking off a day of royal events that included a bedtime greeting for the young Prince George, third in line to the throne.
The President's first stop Friday: Windsor Castle, outside London, for a birthday lunch with the Queen. Not letting the rotor wash of Obama's Marine One helicopter deter her from offering a warm welcome, the new nonagenarian strode out onto the grass alongside husband Prince Philip to offer a handshake. Under gray skies, the monarch wore a floral silk scarf to protect her from the wind as she greeted Obama and the first lady with a smile.
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The foursome piled into a Range Rover, which Philip drove himself the short distance from the Windsor lawn to the Sovereign's Entrance in the castle's Quadrangle. Obama — ordinarily ensconced in the back seat of a heavily armored limousine — sat up front.
The Obamas meet British royalty
President Barack Obama, Prince William and first lady Michelle Obama talk with Prince George at Kensington Palace on April 22, 2016, in London.
Obama and the first lady are greeted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip after landing by helicopter at Windsor Castle for a private lunch on April 22, 2016.
Philip drives the President, the first lady and Elizabeth from the helicopter into Windsor Castle after the Obama's arrived for a private lunch in Windsor, England, on April 22, 2016.
Elizabeth, the President, the first lady and Philip pose for a photograph in the Oak Room ahead of a private lunch at Windsor Castle on April 22, 2016.
The President, the first lady and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet in London's Buckingham Palace on May 24, 2011.
President Barack Obama meets with Prince Harry in the Oval Office on October 28, 2015.
Queen Elizabeth II poses with the President, the first lady and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace ahead of a State Banquet on May 24, 2011.
Jill Biden, Prince Harry and Michelle Obama at the Joining Forces Invictus Games 2016 Event at the Wells Fields House on October 28, 2015, in Fort Belvoir, Va.
President Barack Obama sees off Queen Elizabeth II, as the Duke of Edinburgh and the first lady follow after a reciprocal dinner at the Winfield House in London, on May 25, 2011.
Queen Elizabeth II speaks with President Barack Obama during a group photo of world leaders attending the D-Day 70th Anniversary ceremonies at Chateau de Benouville in Benouville, France, on June 6, 2014.
With her bonnet removed, the Queen emerged from the backseat of the vehicle and led the first couple into her main residence. Soon the group was seen strolling along a palace hallway, the Queen introducing the President to her ladies-in-waiting and personal secretary.
As they stepped into the white-paneled Oak Room for a photo op, the queen noted the room was "full of mirrors," complicating staged photos.
"Where do you want me?" Obama inquired.
"Just here, don't you think?" the Queen said, gesturing toward a spot in front of a roaring fire between a pair of sofas. "Back to the mirror."
A moment passed before a voice called, "Thank you, your Majesty."
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Then it was off to lunch.
Afterward, the White House said Obama presented the Queen with an album of photos depicting her past meetings with American presidents dating back to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
It was only the first of two royal engagements for the President and first lady in London on Friday. In the evening, they called on Kensington Palace, in central London, for a small dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
All the Queen's presidents: From Truman to Biden
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, center, poses with US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle in June 2021.
Harry Truman: She wasn't Queen yet, but during a state visit to the United States in 1951, Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, were received by former President Harry Truman and his wife, Bess. Truman is the only US President that Elizabeth met while she was a princess.
Herbert Hoover: Hoover finished his tenure as President long before Elizabeth ascended to the throne. However, the opportunity for a meeting between the two arose in 1957 during the Queen's royal tour of the United States. Hoover is seated here to the Queen's right.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Eisenhower was the first serving President who Elizabeth met during her reign; he was also her host during her first state visit to the United States in 1957. They also met during a visit to Canada two years later in 1959. The Queen welcomed Eisenhower to the country before they formally opened the St. Lawrence Seaway with a short cruise aboard the royal yacht Britannia.
John F. Kennedy: Amid much fanfare and huge media interest, Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, were dinner guests at Buckingham Palace in June 1961. He later wrote that he would "cherish the memory of that delightful evening," in a birthday letter written to the Queen. He added: "The people of the United States join with me in extending to your Majesty and to the people of the Commonwealth best wishes and hearty congratulations on the occasion of the celebration of your birthday. ... May I also at the same time say how grateful my wife and I are for the cordial hospitality offered to us by your Majesty and Prince Phillip during our visit to London last Monday. We shall always cherish the memory of that delightful evening."
Richard Nixon: Nixon met Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace shortly after becoming the 37th US President in 1969. The Queen prepared signed photographs of herself and Prince Philip as a small memento of the meeting. Nixon also brought a signed headshot. "I didn't bring my wife along this time, 'cause this trip was so hurried," he said. "But we just had a picture taken of the two of us. I would like to send you one of that because it would be much more pleasant to look at the two of us." Laughing, the Queen responded, "That's very nice of you."
Gerald Ford: Ford and the Queen dance during a state dinner at the White House in 1976.
Jimmy Carter: During a 1977 dinner at Buckingham Palace, Carter described the home of the British monarch as "one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. And I think the whole royal family was there. ... I had a good place to sit -- I was between the Queen and Princess Margaret, and across the table was Prince Charles and Prince Philip and the Queen Mother." He continued: "One of the things I told Queen Elizabeth was how much the American people appreciated her coming over last year to celebrate our 200th birthday. And she said that it was one of the warmest welcomes she'd ever received."
Ronald Reagan: The Reagans were the first US family to be the Queen's overnight guests at Windsor Castle in 1982. In his memoirs, "An American Life", the former President recalled his visit with the British royal family: "The highlight of our stay there came when the Queen and I went horseback riding together and Nancy and Prince Philip took a horse-drawn carriage ride. I must admit, the Queen is quite an accomplished horsewoman. We will always remember our visit to Windsor Castle because of the Queen's and Prince Philip's warmth and welcoming hospitality -- they could not have been more gracious."
George H.W. Bush: Bush visited the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 1989, and in May 1991, she was guest of honor at a state dinner in the White House. The pair exchanged toasts about the legacy of human rights and the rule of law bequeathed upon the United States by Great Britain. Meanwhile, the Queen spoke about her previous visits to the White House and the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Bush said during his welcome address: "We have got a lot of things in common. Americans share the Queen's love for horses. ... Most of all what links our countries is less a place than an idea. The idea that for nearly 400 years has been America's inheritance and England's bequest: the legacy of democracy, the rule of law and basic human rights."
Bill Clinton: Clinton met the Queen more than once during his tenure. He said: "She's a highly intelligent woman who knows a lot about the world. ... I always marvel when we meet at what a keen judge she is of human events. I think she's a very impressive person. I like her very much." During a trip to Europe in 2000, Clinton said he noticed that although the Queen's hair had turned gray, she had what he described as "youthful eyes." He added: "She has these baby blue eyes, just piercing."
George W. Bush: Bush visited Britain on an official state visit in 2003, and the Queen went to the United States in 2007 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. During his welcome speech, Bush fluffed his lines and said: ''You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17--. " Realizing his mistake of suggesting the then-81-year-old queen had been on the throne since the 18th century, Bush turned to the monarch and winked at her. Later Bush said she gave him "a look that only a mother could give a child." Here they are pictured in June 2004 watching a flyover in Arromanches, France. It was the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Barack Obama: "There's one last thing that I should mention that I love about Great Britain, and that is the Queen," Obama said at the end of his joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a visit to the UK in 2009. "And so I'm very much looking forward to meeting her for the first time later this evening. ... I think in the imagination of people throughout America, I think what the Queen stands for and her decency and her civility, what she represents, that's very important." Later, during a reception for G-20 leaders, Michelle Obama was seen to take the unusual step of putting her hand briefly on the back of the Queen. This was against protocol, but the monarch seemed to have reached out her hand first and didn't appear bothered by the first lady's gesture.
Donald Trump: In 2019, the Queen hosted the Trumps for an official state visit that included dinner at Buckingham Palace. In a Fox News interview just after the trip to London, Trump called the Queen an "incredible lady" and
said they had a lot of fun together. Some members of the British public and press were not amused, however, when
Trump briefly walked in front of the Queen during a ceremonial inspection of the troops at Windsor Castle. The monarch had to do an awkward sidestep around him.
Joe Biden: Biden first met the Queen as a young senator in 1982. He returned nearly 40 years later, after his first G7 summit as President. They held private talks inside Windsor Castle, and Biden later said he wished he could have spoken to her longer. "She was very generous," Biden said. He said he did not think she'd be insulted if he said she "reminded me of my mother in terms of the look of her and the generosity."
After polite handshakes in steady rain, the quintet walked indoors, where Prince George was spied waiting.
"Oh look at you," Obama proclaimed before the door was shut. Later, a Kensington Palace official said the young prince was allowed to stay up fifteen minutes past his bedtime to greet the President and First Lady.
Later, photos showed the Obamas with the young royals in a palace sitting room, chatting animatedly as a stuffed toy Portuguese Water Dog (the breed the Obamas' own) rested nearby. It was a gift from the First Family.
It's not the first time Prince William, Kate and the Obamas have met in London. The last time the first couple traveled to the United Kingdom together, in 2011, they greeted the recently wed Kate and William at a reception in their honor at Buckingham Palace.
The hospitality has been reciprocated in the States. Prince Harry surprised a gathering of military families during a visit to the White House in 2013, and William was granted an Oval Office sit-down with the President in 2014 to discuss his efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.
Elizabeth hasn't visited the White House during Obama's tenure, though he's been her guest in London twice. They also met during the D-Day anniversary celebrations in Normandy in 2014.
During the Obamas' first visit with Queen Elizabeth, in 2009, the pair ruffled some feathers when the First Lady put her hand around Her Majesty's back -- a break from the normal procedure of avoiding touching the monarch. Michelle Obama was also criticized for wearing a cardigan.
"You don't go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater," designer Oscar de la Renta scoffed.
This time there didn't appear to be any awkward clutches of the Queen, and the First Lady wore a knee-length purple dress -- designed by de la Renta himself.