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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Hadley Freeman

For Americans, the Queen was the ultimate celebrity

Queen Elizabeth II Michelle Obama George W Bush United States Donald Trump Obamas Prince Harry Barack Lauren Collins
Queen Elizabeth looks slightly bemused as she attends an American football match and meets the players in 1957.
Queen Elizabeth looks slightly bemused as she attends an American football match and meets the players in 1957. Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images

Back in May 2012, Barack and Michelle Obama made a state visit to the UK that involved the usual photo-friendly rigmarole such as wreath-laying and Beefeater-inspecting. They also spent the night at Buckingham Palace and attended a state dinner in their honour where Obama gave a short speech and toast to the Queen. Journalists, however, noticed something unusual about the man who is one of the most eloquent politicians of all time: he was nervous.

Barack and Michelle Obama welcome Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for a reciprocal dinner at Winfield House in London, 2011.
Barack and Michelle Obama welcome Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for a reciprocal dinner at Winfield House in London, 2011. Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP
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