Though the Special Relationship often refers to the one between US Presidents and UK Prime Ministers, it’s worth discussing how the monarchy fits in. Whilst the Prime Minister is Head of Government, the monarch is Head of State. Several presidents have met our monarchs, and have cultivated solid relationships with them. Let’s learn more.
Presidents under George III
- George Washington
- John Adams
- Thomas Jefferson
- James Madison
- James Monroe
Whilst difficult travel meant neither President nor King left their country in office, George III actually met three of the men on this list, though before they were president. In 1785, John Adams was presented as the first US Ambassador to the U.K. Despite strained relations between the nations, Adams liked George III.
In 1786, Thomas Jefferson was introduced to George III. Jefferson had roundly criticised the king as a tyrant and blamed him for America breaking away. George III was cold to Jefferson, and even to Adams for introducing him. Jefferson was still angered about it years later.
James Monroe was presented at court in 1803. Whilst he disliked the British Crown, he and George III were friendly towards each other, and he disliked the nation less after leaving.
George III is said to have respected George Washington, who was polite about him in return.
Though George III and James Madison did not meet, there is some formal correspondence between them.
Presidents under George IV
- James Monroe
- John Quincy Adams
- Andrew Jackson
George IV did not meet any presidents. He sent a letter to Monroe announcing the death of his father in 1820. There is no evidence of any correspondence with John Quincy Adams or Andrew Jackson, though the latter passionately hated the British.
Presidents under William IV
- Andrew Jackson
- Martin Van Buren
There is no evidence of any correspondence between William IV and either president.
Presidents under Victoria
- Martin Van Buren
- William Henry Harrison
- John Tyler
- James K. Polk
- Zachary Taylor
- Millard Fillmore
- Franklin Pierce
- James Buchanan
- Abraham Lincoln
- Andrew Johnson
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- James A. Garfield
- Chester A. Arthur
- Grover Cleveland
- Benjamin Harrison
- William McKinley
Queen Victoria reigned for a then-record sixty-three years and saw seventeen presidents- the last of whom was both born and died during her reign.
Victoria sent Martin Van Buren a letter signed ‘Your Good Friend, Victoria R.’ They would meet years later, described later on.
There was no correspondence between Victoria and William Henry Harrison. Harrison died after only a month in office.
Victoria and John Tyler had some correspondence. Tyler was exceedingly formal and wrote in third person and this bemused Victoria.
There was no correspondence between Victoria and James K. Polk.
There was no correspondence between Victoria and Zachary Taylor.
Queen Victoria actually met Millard Fillmore, though not until after the presidency. Fillmore travelled to Europe for a tour during his retirement. On the 12th June 1855, Fillmore had a private reception with Victoria. Two days later, he was part of a state dinner that included Victoria, former President Martin van Buren, then-Ambassador James Buchanan and Harriet Lane. It’s said that Victoria called Fillmore ‘the handsomest man she’d ever seen.’ She would have really liked Alec Baldwin.
Franklin Pierce facilitated the return of the HMS Resolute to Queen Victoria, but there’s no evidence of any correspondence.
Victoria and James Buchanan met before his presidency. The first transatlantic telegram was sent from Victoria to Buchanan, congratulating him on their countries’ mutual success in building the cables. His niece and hostess Harriet Lane was a good friend of the Prince of Wales, and met Victoria several more times.
Abraham Lincoln never met Queen Victoria, though they did correspond. Their leadership crossed over during a very difficult time for them both- Lincoln was overseeing the brutal American Civil War, whilst Victoria had lost her beloved husband Prince Albert. Lincoln sent a personally-signed letter of condolences. Years later, when Lincoln was killed, Victoria sent a kind letter to Mary Lincoln. Mary was touched by this.
Queen Victoria sent a congratulatory message to Andrew Johnson after a new cable was laid that allowed transatlantic cables in 1866. Johnson responded in kind.
Ulysses S. Grant met Victoria on a post-presidential trip in 1877. He, his wife Julia and son Jessie dined with Victoria at an intimate event, where all involved enjoyed their time. His daughter Nellie had married an English noble and had already presented at court to Victoria.
Queen Victoria sent Rutherford B. Hayes the Resolute Desk as a gift, something still used to this day. Hayes sent a letter of condolence to Victoria after her cousin, George V of Hanover.
There’s no known correspondence between James A. Garfield and Queen Victoria. That being said, Victoria sent Lucretia Garfield a lovely letter and beautiful white wreath. The wreath was placed on Garfield’s casket and can still be seen at his library.
There’s no known correspondence between Chester A. Arthur and Queen Victoria.
Grover Cleveland and Queen Victoria corresponded, with Cleveland sending Victoria a congratulations on the 50th anniversary of her ascension.
Benjamin Harrison and Queen Victoria exchanged formal letters, including one with Robert Todd Lincoln’s credentials as Minister to the United Kingdom. His future wife Mary Dimmick was invited to Victoria’s birthday celebration in 1893.
William McKinley was Victoria’s seventeenth and final US President. There was no correspondence between them. McKinley ordered the flags lowered to half-mast in tribute to the late Queen after she died in January 1901- he would later be assassinated in September of that year.
Presidents under Edward VII
- William McKinley
- Theodore Roosevelt
- William Howard Taft
William McKinley sent Edward VII a message of condolence upon his mother’s death and his own ascension. Edward returned the favour when McKinley was assassinated.
There is some evidence of correspondence between Edward and Theodore Roosevelt. The latter did walk in the procession at Edward’s funeral in 1910. Roosevelt later met George V, whom he liked.
There is no evidence of any correspondence between William Howard Taft and Edward VII.
Presidents under George V
- William Howard Taft
- Woodrow Wilson
- Warren G. Harding
- Calvin Coolidge
- Herbert Hoover
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
William Howard Taft sent George V a letter of both condolences and congratulations upon his father’s death and his ascension. There is no other evidence of any correspondence, though it may have existed.
The meeting of Woodrow Wilson and George marked the first time a monarch met a sitting president. This happened in December 1918, in wake of a deadly war that had killed millions. Thousands lined the route as the King and Wilson rode in an open-topped carriage together. Wilson joined George and his wife Mary on the balcony, and was seen off by the royals at the train station on his way to Dover.
Warren G. Harding sent George a happy birthday message on the 5th June 1922. There’s no other evidence of correspondence between them, though it may have existed.
Calvin Coolidge sent birthday cables to George in 1927, though there is no evidence of any other correspondence.
Herbert Hoover sent birthday wishes to George in 1929. He also sent condolences to George upon the crashing of the R101 airship in October 1930, which killed Air Minister Lord Thomson and forty-seven others.
Presidents under Edward VIII
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
There’s no evidence of correspondence between the short-reigning King Edward VIII and Franklin D. Roosevelt. During WW2, Roosevelt ordered covert surveillance on the now-former king and his wife, as they were known Nazi sympathisers.
Presidents under George VI
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Harry S. Truman
The meeting of Franklin D. Roosevelt and George VI marked only the second time a sitting president met a monarch. In 1939, George and his wife Elizabeth accepted an invitation to the United States. This was the first time a British monarch had ever gone to the United States. Roosevelt served the royals hot dogs in Hyde Park. They also enjoyed a state dinner, a trip to Mount Vernon and a trip to Arlington National Cemetery. The King and Queen enjoyed their trip. Upon the outbreak of war, Eleanor Roosevelt sent a supportive letter to the Queen. She headed to London in 1942 at the invitation of the queen consort. Though Roosevelt would correspond mainly with Winston Churchill throughout the war, he no doubt kept in touch with the king.
George and Harry S. Truman met in August 1945 on board the USS Augusta at the time of the Potsdam Conference. They also had lunch on the HMS Renown. When George unexpectedly died in February 1952, Truman paid tribute to him.
Presidents under Elizabeth II
- Harry S. Truman
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- John F. Kennedy
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Richard Nixon
- Gerald Ford
- Jimmy Carter
- Ronald Reagan
- George H. W. Bush
- Bill Clinton
- George W. Bush
- Barack Obama
- Donald Trump
- Joe Biden
Elizabeth II was still Princess Elizabeth when she met Harry S. Truman in October 1951. They put on formal clothes for a state dinner at the Canadian Embassy, which included their respective spouses and Margaret Truman, who was two years older than the Queen.
Elizabeth was Queen when she met Dwight D. Eisenhower. She and Prince Philip spent four nights at the White House. The president and monarch also spent time in Canada together, and the Queen Mother was twice a guest in America. Eisenhower was a guest at Balmoral in 1959, where he became so enamoured with the scones that he asked for the recipe. The Queen duly sent it. It’s said that the Queen had the closest bond with Eisenhower out of all the presidents despite their age gap. Perhaps it was because of their shared vision of duty.
John F. Kennedy may have been closer to the Queen’s age, but she was still nine years younger than him. In June 1961, President and Mrs. Kennedy headed to the UK for a state visit. The Queen had not wanted to invite Jackie’s sister Lee or her husband as they were divorcées, but it was allowed as it wasn’t a state dinner. Jackie had also wanted to meet Princess Margaret- a year younger than her- and Princess Marina, but they weren’t invited. Whilst The Crown portrayed Jackie and the Queen butting heads, it seems to have been a pleasant affair if a little awkward. Unfortunately, President Kennedy was never to meet the royals again. Prince Philip attended his funeral, where Jackie was touched by finding him playing with Caroline and John Jr. Jackie and the children met the royals again when they attended a dedication at the Kennedy Memorial in Runnymede, Surrey.
The one president that the Queen never met during her tenure was Lyndon B. Johnson. Tensions between the nations were high at the time due to Prime Minister Harold Wilson refusing to send troops to Vietnam. The true reason for them never meeting is unknown, but Princess Margaret and her husband, the Earl Snowdon, headed to the White House for a visit in 1965. The dinner included the royal couple, the First Family, celebrities and officials alike, and was full of drinking and dancing. Unfortunately, Princess Margaret upset a lot of people on her visit, such as Judy Garland and Princess Grace. Officials were so upset that she was barred from visiting. Whilst the Queen never met President Johnson, she corresponded with him, and met his widow Lady Bird years later on a Texas trip in 1991.
The Queen first met Richard Nixon in 1953, when she was soon to be crowned and he had just become Vice President. They also met again in 1957, where the Queen thanked Nixon for a delightful dinner party, and in 1958 and 1959. He sent her a book on the English language, and was apparently quite a fan of the royal family, trying to set his daughter Tricia up with Prince Charles. Presidents and Mrs. Nixon visited the U.K. in 1969 and 1970, meeting the Queen both times. They went to Buckingham House the first time, and Checkers the second.
Gerald Ford and the Queen met at what could be an awkward occasion- the bicentennial celebrations in 1976. It was nevertheless a beautiful occasion. The royals and the First Couple dined together, appeared at events and came together at a State Dinner that saw Ford dance with the Queen.
Jimmy Carter met the Queen a year later when he and his wife headed to the U.K. At an event at Buckingham Palace, Carter broke protocol by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips. She later remarked that ‘he is the only man, since my dear husband died, to have had the effrontery to kiss me on the lips.’ The Carters and royals exchanged gifts as is customary. Both outlived the Queen and paid tribute to her upon her death. Rosalynn Carter died over a year after the Queen.
Ronald Reagan met Queen Elizabeth on several occasions- twice in 1982, 1983 and 1989. It’s believed that Reagan was the Queen’s favourite President. They bonded over a love of horses and went riding together. Reagan was also the first President to receive the exclusive invitation to Windsor Castle. The royals spent a stormy weekend at Reagan’s California ranch and also dined with them in San Francisco. In 1989, the Queen gave the now ex-President an honorary knighthood. They remained in contact for years, and Prince Charles attended Reagan’s funeral. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum put their flags at half mast when the Queen died.
The Queen also met George H. W. Bush on multiple occasions. President and Mrs. Bush enjoyed lunch at Buckingham Palace in 1989. In 1991, the Queen and Prince Philip headed stateside. They had a state dinner at the White House and also visited Baltimore, where they watched a Baltimore Orioles baseball game. Baltimore, I must add, was the childhood home of Wallis Simpson. King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, attended Bush’s 2018 funeral.
President Bill Clinton met The Queen three times during his presidency. The first occasion was in 1994 when they met in Portsmouth for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. A year later, the royals hosted the Clintons at Buckingham Palace. They met for the third time in 2000, where the First Couple and Chelsea were invited to Buckingham Palace again. Chelsea was given a tour of the palace whilst Clinton had a private audience with the Queen. They also took tea. In his memoir, Clinton spoke highly of the Queen: ‘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.’
George W. Bush met the Queen before he was president, during the administration of his father. The first meeting during his presidency was in July 2001, where the President and Mrs. Bush were invited to Buckingham Palace. They met again in 2003 at a state dinner in the same location. President and Mrs. Bush returned the favour, hosting the Queen and Prince Philip at a state dinner in White House in 2007. In a humorous turn, Bush nearly said that the Queen had celebrated the bicentennial in 1776 not 1976. Her Majesty replied : ‘Mr. President, I wondered whether I should start this toast saying, ‘When I was here in 1776,’ but I don’t think I will.’
The Queen met Barack Obama on several occasions- in 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2016. In 2009, the Obamas were invited to Buckingham Palace, where Michelle Obama was said to have broken protocol by putting an arm around The Queen. They were there once again in 2011, where they were honoured by a state dinner. The pair met again in 2014 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. Their final meeting as President and Queen was in 2016. In a sweet scene, President and Mrs. Obama met a young Prince George, who has been allowed to stay up to meet them. The Queen also joined up with Prince Harry for a humorous Invictus Games video that year. The prince, who now lives in California, remains good friends with the Obamas and is said to have wanted to invite them to his wedding, though he was forced not to.
Donald Trump and the Queen met twice. In 2018, President and Mrs. Trump joined Her Majesty at Windsor Castle for tea. They came again in 2019 for a state dinner at Buckingham Palace. Trump has the highest praise for the Queen.
Joe Biden was The Queen’s fourteenth and final president. He apparently met The Queen back in 1982, when he was a Senator. Flash forward to 2021, when President and Mrs/Dr. Biden had tea at Windsor Castle. The pair would later attend The Queen’s funeral.
Presidents under Charles III
- Joe Biden
Joe Biden has been the only President under Charles II so far, though that will change on the 20th January 2025. The pair met for the first time in July 2023 at Windsor Castle, though the First Lady attended the King’s coronation a month prior. Charles met several Presidents as Prince of Wales, including Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He’ll likely meet Donald Trump again or Kamala Harris as President.
