The Queen hosted a glittering Buckingham Palace reception last night for the largest gathering of world leaders in London for a generation
The Queen hosted a glittering Buckingham Palace reception last night for the largest gathering of world leaders in London for a generation.
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Presidents, prime ministers and chancellors from across the globe came together as guests of the Monarch for the event staged on the eve of the G20 summit. But it was the Queen's historic first meeting with US President Barack Obama that was the highlight of the evening.
The US leader and his wife Michelle appeared to have an instant rapport with the Monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh as the foursome talked in the royals' private apartments.
The two couples joked together and later the Sovereign and the First Lady acted like old friends when they put their arms around each other while sharing a chat towards the end of the evening.
Presents were exchanged between the two heads of state with the Obamas presenting the Queen with a personalised iPod containing a video of her visit to the US in 2007. In return, the royal couple gave them a silver-framed, signed photograph of themselves.
Earlier yesterday Obama revealed the Queen was top of the list of things he likes about Britain, praising her "decency and civility" as important to people across the US.
The queen and her husband entertained the Obamas in her private audience room, which overlooks the palace gardens where thousands of daffodils and other flowers were in bloom. The room, which is part of the queen's private quarters, is frequently used for private meetings with visiting leaders. Recent visitors included the prime ministers of Canada and Australia.
Describing his day so far, the President said to his hosts: "I had breakfast with the Prime Minister, I had meetings with the Chinese, the Russians and also David Cameron."
Appearing to refer to his jetlag, he won laughter from his hosts as he commented: "I'm proud to say I did not nod off in any of the meetings."
The two couples posed for pictures to record the occasion and the difference in height between the tall American couple and their Royal hosts was noticeable as they stood side by side in the lavishly decorated room.
After her meeting 20-minute long with the Obamas, the queen held a reception for all the world leaders attending the summit in the Palace's picture gallery.
They gathered in the palace's picture gallery and were served champagne, wine and canapes of chicken with zucchini on skewers, mini Cornish pasties, smoked quail eggs, foie gras and tiny rolls of duck filled with melon.
The long room with its arched roof buzzed with conversation as the politicians, their aides and other members of their entourage chatted. The Queen held court in the middle of the event, which despite the formality of the setting was designed to be informal.
A large number of the Royal Family had joined them, including the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of York and Princess Beatrice.
At one point the Queen chatted for a few moments with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as a few inches away the French President Nicolas Sarkozy held an animated discussion, through an interpreter, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The dignitaries finally left the building to attend various dinners across the capital.
"It was a wonderful visit," Obama shouted to reporters as he and his wife left the palace. "Her majesty is delightful."
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