USA State Visit announced, 17 February 2011

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN

The President of the United States, President Barack Obama, has accepted an invitation from The Queen to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Tuesday 24th May to Thursday 26th May 2011.

The President will be accompanied by Mrs Obama and will stay at Buckingham Palace.
BackgroundPrevious visits by American Presidents include:

President Eisenhower paid a visit to The Queen at Balmoral Castle in 1959:

President and Mrs Kennedy dined with The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace in June 1961;

President Nixon had lunch with The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace in February 1969 and again visited in 1970;

President Carter was received by The Queen in London in 1977;

President and Mrs Reagan made an official visit to the UK in June 1982, staying at Windsor Castle;

President and Mrs Bush had lunch with The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in June 1989;

President and Mrs Clinton visited The Queen in December 2000;

President George W Bush and Mrs Bush had lunch with The Queen on 19th July 2001 at Buckingham Palace;

President George W Bush and Mrs Bush November made a State Visit to the UK in November 2003;

President George W Bush and Mrs Bush visited The Queen at Windsor Castle on 15th June, 2008;

President and Mrs Obama met The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace during the G20 meeting in London in April 2009.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have made four State Visits to the USA: in October 1957 (President Eisenhower), in July 1976 for the US Bicentennial (President Ford), May 1991 (President Bush) and May 2007 (President George W Bush).
Her Majesty and His Royal Highness also made an official visit to the West Coast of America in February/March 1983 (President Reagan).
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited New York in 2010, where Her Majesty addressed the United Nations.