2007 state visit by Elizabeth II to the United States

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State visit by Elizabeth II to the United States
First family and Elizabeth II 2007 (outside).jpg
Date3 to 8 May 2007
Location Washington, D.C., Richmond, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Lexington, Louisville, Greenbelt [1]
TypeState visit
Participants Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

From 3 to 8 May 2007, Queen Elizabeth II, made a state visit to the United States with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She was received by President George W. Bush on 7 May. The visit marked the last time she undertook a state visit to the United States. Bush had previously been hosted by the Queen during a state visit to the United Kingdom in November 2003. This was the eighth state visit received by President Bush. [2]

Contents

Schedule

3–4 May

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Richmond International Airport and between 3–4 May visited Richmond, Williamsburg and Jamestown in Virginia to mark the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. [2] [3] [4] The Queen had previously visited Jamestown for its 350th anniversary in 1957. [5] On 3 May, the Queen addressed a special session of the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond in the presence of Virginia governor Tim Kaine, [3] stating: "This four hundredth anniversary marks a moment to recognise the deep friendship which exists between our two countries." [6] The Queen also ment with victims of the Virginia Tech shooting. [7] On 4 May, the Queen and the Duke were accompanied by Vice President Dick Cheney and Second Lady Lynne Cheney during their tour of Jamestown and Williamsburg. [3] The Duke also undertook engagements in Norfolk, Virginia, visiting the families of 14 service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. [2] [8]

5–7 May

On 5 May, the royal couple travelled to Kentucky to attend the 2007 Kentucky Derby. [2] The Queen was a special guest of Churchill Downs and had stated that it was one of her dreams to attend the Kentucky Derby. [9] The Queen and the Duke then visited Washington, D.C. between 7–8 May. [2] Upon their arrival on the South Lawn of the White House the royal couple was greeted by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. [2] [10] A 21-gun salute was fired to mark the occasion and the Queen and the President inspected the troops on the lawn before delivering remarks. [2] [11] The President stated that the two countries "have built our special relationship on the surest foundations -- our deep and abiding love of liberty." [12] The Queen described her presence in the American capital as "a further opportunity to acknowledge the present strength of our relationship." [13] A state banquet was given that night in the State Dining Room at the White House, [2] [10] during which the President and the Queen made remarks and exchanged toasts. [14] This followed by a reception in the East Room where violinist Itzhak Perlman performed for the guests. [15] The ceremony was a white tie event, [2] [10] and the first such event hosted by the Bush administration. [16] The U.S. media also reported that the President had received lessons on etiquette ahead of the visit. [17] The First Lady personally oversaw the preparations and provided input for the five course menu served to the delegations. [2] [10]

8 May

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and First Lady Laura Bush visited the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. on 8 May. [2] [10] The royal couple also toured NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and met with NASA employees and scientists. [18] The Queen also attended a garden party at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. and hosted the presidential couple there for dinner in the evening. [2] [10] [19] The Queen famously teased President Bush for an earlier slip-up during the welcoming ceremony at the White House during which he had stated that the Queen had helped celebrate the U.S. bicentennial in 1776, rather than 1976, prompting the Queen to begin her speech by stating "I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, 'When I was here in 1776...'" [20]

References

  1. ↑ Hazlewood, Phil (1 May 2007). "Queen Elizabeth II to visit the United States". AFP.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Welcoming Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II & His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh" . Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Queen Elizabeth II: President Bush and Queen Elizabeth". The White House. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "America Welcomes The Queen". CBS News. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  5. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth arrives in Va". The Associated Press. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025– via The Denver Post.
  6. ↑ "A speech by The Queen at the State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia, 2007". The Royal Family. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth's Trip Includes Visit to Tech Victims". NPR. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth reflects on 'Jamestown legacy'". NBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  9. ↑ Harrell, Eben (30 April 2007). "America frets over etiquette for royal visit". The Scotsman . Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gay Stolberg, Sheryl (8 May 2007). "A White-Tie Dinner for Queen's White House Visit". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "Photos: President Bush Welcomes Queen Elizabeth II to the White House". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  12. ↑ "President Bush Welcomes Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the White House". The White House. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "A speech by The Queen at the White House Arrival Ceremony, 2007". The Royal Family. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "President Bush Exchanges Toasts with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II". The White House. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "Dinner Fit For A Queen". CBS News. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  16. ↑ Weiner, Eric (7 May 2007). "Etiquette Advice Abounds Amid Queen's Visit". NPR. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  17. ↑ Witchell, Nicholas (9 May 2007). "Queen triumphs amid Bush gaffes". BBC News. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth II Visits NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in 2007". NASA. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "In pictures: Queen in Washington". BBC News. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  20. ↑ "Queen teases Bush over verbal gaffe". The Guardian. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
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