What Queen Elizabeth's relationship was like with every US president, from Truman to Trump
When Queen Elizabeth was still a princess in 1951, she traveled to Washington, DC to the first time to meet President Harry Truman, and the two complimented each other's nations. "Free men everywhere look towards the United States with affection and with hope," she told Truman.
The queen developed a close friendship with President Dwight Eisenhower, who hosted Her Majesty for her first state visit to the US as queen. They corresponded by letter for years — with the queen even sharing her recipe for grilled scones with Eisenhower.
Source: BBC America
The queen reportedly felt upstaged and outshined by Jacqueline Kennedy when she and President Kennedy toured France and England in the summer of 1961 The queen hosted them at Buckingham Palace.
Source: Washington Post
Nevertheless, Queen Elizabeth and President Kennedy warmly corresponded until his death in 1963, after which the queen created a physical memorial and a scholarship fund in Kennedy's honor.
Source: Washington Post
President Richard Nixon met the queen multiple times during his time as vice president and president — and reportedly tried to fix his daughter Tricia up with Prince Charles, the queen's eldest son.
Source: BBC America
President Gerald Ford hosted Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip for a state dinner. "If I hadn't kept mixing up Your Highness and Your Majesty (he's His Highness, she's Her Majesty) I'd give myself four stars for the way that visit went off," First Lady Betty Ford wrote of the dinner in her memoirs.
Source: Ford Presidential Library
President Jimmy Carter committed in infamous faux-pas in kissing the Queen Mother on the lips during his visit to Buckingham Palace to attend a NATO event.
Source: BBC America
Queen Elizabeth developed a close relationship with President Ronald Reagan, with whom she shared a love of horseback riding.
Source: BBC America
In 1989, the queen granted Reagan honorary knighthood — the highest distinction the United Kingdom awards foreigners — in recognition of Reagan's assistance to the UK in the Falkland Wars.
Source: Associated Press
George H.W. Bush, a life-long baseball fan, took Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip to a Baltimore Orioles vs. Oakland Athletics game in 1991 — the first time the queen had been to a baseball game.
Source: Politico
After President Bush died in December 2018, the queen put out a statement that honored him as "a great friend and ally of the United Kingdom" and a "patriot." She also sent Prince Charles to represent the Royal Family at his funeral.
Source: Town & Country, Marie Claire
“Her Majesty impressed me as someone who but for the circumstance of her birth, might have become a successful politician or diplomat. As it was, she had to be both, without quite seeming to be either," President Bill Clinton wrote of the queen in his memoir.
Source: BBC America
In 2007, Queen Elizabeth poked some light-hearted fun at George W. Bush over his mistakenly saying she had to come to celebrate America's bicentennial in 1776 instead of 1976.
Source: The Guardian
In 2009, President Barack Obama gifted the queen an iPod with historical video footage of her previous visits to the US going back to the 1950s, as well as his 2009 inaugural address and 2008 speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Source: BBC America
In her memoir "Becoming," Michelle Obama described accidentally violating royal protocol by putting her arm around the queen as a show of affection and support, but says Her Majesty didn't seem offended and reciprocated the gesture back.
Sources: BBC America, Harper's Bazaar
President Donald Trump was accused of committing several royal faux-pas during his summer 2018 visit to England — including being late to meet the queen at Windsor Castle, walking in front of her, shaking her hand instead of bowing, and turning his back to her.
Source: USA Today, New York Times
"If you think of it, for so many years she has represented her country, she has really never made a mistake. You don’t see, like, anything embarrassing. She is just an incredible woman," Trump said of the queen before their meeting.
Source: Town & Country Magazine
In April, UK media outlets reported that the queen plans to invite Trump to Buckingham Palace for a formal state visit and to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day in June 2019.
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