Queen Elizabeth has been in the reign for 70 years already. As of this writing, Her Majesty is the longest-reigning living monarch, who succeeded to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, on the death of her father, King George VI.
The mother of Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Prince Andrew has played a vital role in facilitating the U.K. and U.S. “special” diplomatic relationship. As a matter of fact, in 2019, former U.S. President Barack Obama gifted Queen Elizabeth an iPod with historical video footage of her previous visits to America going back to the 1950s, including his 2009 inaugural address and 2008 speech at the Democratic National Convention.
During Barack Obama’s visit in May 2011, Queen Elizabeth reportedly issued a stern warning to the ex-POTUS after a state dinner. Keep on reading to know more details.
How Did Queen Elizabeth Warn Barack Obama?
Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip greeted the then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama upon their arrival at the Palace in 2011. During the dinner, the British monarch toasted the U.K.’s “special relationship” with the U.S. and thanked America which “twice came to the rescue of the free and democratic world when it was facing military disaster” in the middle of the two World Wars.
Royal author Robert Hardman claimed that, aside from the exemplary tableware and wine used on the evening, the rapport Barack Obama had with “a host who could talk with such authority about so many of his predecessors” made the occasion exceptional. Part of the book called Queen Of Our Times: The Life Of Queen Elizabeth II included Robert’s revelations of how the night unfolded.
Robert Hardman claimed Queen Elizabeth was forced to intervene on the evening where former U.S. President Barack Obama “had been enjoying himself so much.”
The royal author explained how Her Majesty wanted to discreetly call it a day because she was tired, saying:
“Obama had been enjoying himself so much that the Queen had eventually taken the Chancellor of the Exchequer to one side to ask if he might, very discreetly, let the U.S. President know that it was bedtime. ‘I just said: “Yes, Ma’am,’ George Osborne recalls. ‘I could see Obama with a drink in hand, and I was thinking: What do I do? I couldn’t just interrupt and say: ‘Oh, the Queen wants you to go to bed’. Fortunately, he was saved by the Queen’s private secretary, who gently nudged proceedings to a close.”
He furthered:
“…the President summoned his two closest aides, including senior speechwriter Ben Rhodes, for a modest after-party in the Belgian Suite, where the Queen accommodates her state visitors.”
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In his book, Robert Hardman also detailed that Barack Obama compared Queen Elizabeth to his grandmother when talking to Mr. Rhodes since both of them are “straightforward” and “courteous.”
Robert Hardman added:
“‘They developed a real affinity,’ says Rhodes. ‘He saw how much the Queen went out of her way to make a black American President feel as welcome as possible. ‘She treated him a lot better than some other leaders [treated him], I can tell you that. That was very powerful.”
Queen Elizabeth Pulls Out Of Commonwealth Service
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth would not be able to make it to the Commonwealth Service next week since her doctors advised her to rest. Prince Charles would act in the place of Her Majesty for an annual service for the Commonwealth of 54 nations.
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In a statement, Buckingham Palace said:
"After discussing the arrangements with the Royal Household, the Queen has asked the Prince of Wales to represent Her Majesty at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. The Queen will continue with other planned engagements, including in-person audiences, in the week ahead."
Most, if not all, royal fans can recall that Queen Elizabeth raised concerns over her health after it was confirmed that she spent a night at a hospital in October 2021. Despite her nonappearance on the Commonwealth Service, Her Majesty is still expected to grace a service of thanksgiving for the late Prince Philip later this month.
Stay tuned to EpicStream for the latest news and updates about Queen Elizabeth!
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