Royal welcome for Obamas in Britain
Published:Wednesday | May 25, 2011 | 12:00 AM
LONDON (AP)
PRESIDENT BARACK Obama and wife Michelle got a grand welcome to London Tuesday from Queen Elizabeth II, complete with a 41-gun salute at Buckingham Palace and all the pomp and pageantry the British royalty has to offer.
Obama is only the second US president to be accorded a state visit in Britain, according to Buckingham Palace. The flourishes of the day reflected it, as the queen and her husband Prince Philip greeted the Obamas at the majestic palace on a sunny, windy afternoon in London and, after a private tour, emerged on the ceremonial steps of the West Terrace.
opening rounds
A longer 62-gun salute at the Tower of London could be heard throughout the city, heralding the Obamas' arrival.
The Obamas were fully embracing the tradition and history of the royal family, which is experiencing a resurgence in popularity following Prince William's wedding.
They were to spend two nights at the palace as guests of the queen, staying in a six-room suite last used by Prince William and Kate Middleton on their wedding night. The newlyweds, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, met briefly with the Obamas Tuesday before the palace-arrival ceremony.