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On Monday 10 July 2023, US President Joe Biden will meet King Charles III for the first time since the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

Over the past century or so, there have been numerous meetings between the countries’ two heads of states. Of the 14 Presidents who took office during her reign, Queen Elizabeth II met 13 of them, President Lyndon Johnson being the exception.

Join ���˿��� Bitesize as we explore three intriguing UK/US meetings in history.

A jubilant and festive first meeting

The first sitting US president to travel to London to meet the monarch was President Woodrow Wilson, in December 1918, and it was quite the occasion. In the wake of World War One, Mr Wilson had sailed to Europe aboard the S.S. George Washington, becoming the first US president to visit the continent whilst in office. Having attended the Preliminary to the Paris Peace Conference (a preliminary meeting ahead of the full conference) in France, he arrived at Charing Cross station in London on Boxing Day.

Ready and waiting to meet Mr Wilson was King George V, his wife Queen Mary, and thousands of well-wishers who lined the route to Buckingham Palace. Writing at the time, the Manchester Guardian stated that: "There has not been such a show of colour or such genuine lightheartedness in the crowd since Coronation days in the world before the war."

Sat side by side in a carriage and accompanied by a cavalry escort, the King and President travelled along a route that was guarded by 20,000 soldiers, lined up in double rank with fixed bayonets. For the first time, women from the armed forces took part in an occasion of this scale. Bells were rung at St Martin’s Church, bands played and aeroplanes passed overhead in an arrowhead formation.

Reportedly, the usually more austere Mr Wilson was seen smiling and raising his silk hat to acknowledge the crowd. He would later join King George V and Queen Mary on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, waving a Union Jack, after the crowd chanted “We want Wilson”.

Leaving London behind, Mr Wilson continued on to visit both Carlisle and Manchester, the former being the birthplace of his mother.

King George V’s son, King George VI, would later become the first British monarch to make an official visit to the US. In June 1939, he and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to meet President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Among the more formal events, the two couples enjoyed a picnic of hot dogs in Hyde Park, New York.

A spot of sailing and scones

President Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II met several times in the late 1950s, both in North America and the UK. Their first meeting came in 1957, when the Queen and Prince Philip travelled to Washington DC and held a dinner at the British Embassy in Mr Eisenhower’s honour.

Two years later, the two met again but this time in the Canadian city of Montreal. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth, and Queen Elizabeth II was the country’s Head of State. It was in this capacity that she joined President Eisenhower for the ceremonial opening of the 2,300 mile (3,701 km) long St Lawrence Seaway, which connects the Great Lakes of North America with the Atlantic Ocean, opening the region to greater trade opportunities.

From Montreal’s harbour, they sailed on the Royal Yacht Britannia as the crowds cheered, bells were rung and bands played out. One enthusiastic American congressman shouted: "We have all fallen in love with the Queen, Ike!"

Writing afterwards, Mr Eisenhower said of the journey: “But the highlight of the day, for us, was the cruise on Britannia, the delightful luncheon with you and your guests, and the opportunity we had to talk informally with you and Prince Phillip.”

A couple of months later, President Eisenhower joined the Queen and her family for an overnight visit at her Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle. During the visit, he tasted the Queen’s drop scones (Scotch pancakes) and enjoyed them so much, that she would later send them her recipe. As well as listing the ingredients and baking steps, the Queen helpfully included some useful tips. For example, that golden syrup or treacle can be used as an alternative to sugar, and that “the mixture needs a great deal of beating while making, and shouldn't stand about too long before cooking”.

Enjoying a great American pastime

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II attended a wide array of sporting events, including a game of 'America’s National Pastime', baseball. Whilst visiting President George HW Bush in May 1991, the Queen and Prince Philip joined the First Couple in watching a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium.

Before the game, the four dignitaries formed a receiving line by the dugout (protected by bulletproof glass for the evening) and shook the hands of all the players. Having been told to act naturally, Oakland player Jose Canseco continued to chew his gum whilst meeting the Queen. Pleasantries done with, the two couples were seated in the Orioles owner’s box, from where they watched the first two innings. Oakland Athletics would eventually win the game 6-3.

It was on this same trip that Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address a joint meeting of the US Congress. She spoke for several minutes on the subject of the friendship between the UK and the US, receiving a standing ovation at the end.

This article was published in July 2023