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Queen Elizabeth II and the White House

Beginning in 1951, Queen Elizabeth II cultivated a seventy-year friendship with the White House, visiting the United States several times as both princess and queen. Her visits have included four State Visits, five State Dinners, and two unofficial visits during her reign. In seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II participated in many important White House traditions and met more U.S. presidents than any other head of state. In this collection, explore the decades-long history of Queen Elizabeth II and the White House.

Click here to purchase White House History Quarterly #64: Queen Elizabeth II: The Royal Visits

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Featured

  • Backgrounder

    The White House and Queen Elizabeth II

    The White House and Queen Elizabeth II shared a long history of friendship and diplomacy. Queen Elizabeth II’s reign spanned 14 presidential administrations.

  • Gallery

    Queen Elizabeth II

    As the longest-reigning British monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II met with more than a dozen sitting American presidents. Explore the gallery to learn more about these historic moments!

  • Press Release

    New Issue of White House History Quarterly, “Queen Elizabeth II: The Royal Visits” Available on Pre-Order Today

    The White House Historical Association (WHHA) today released the 64th issue of its award-winning magazine, White House History Quarterly. Queen Elizabeth II visited the United States as princess and queen, officially and privately, eight times, from 1951 to 2010, never failing to make front page news. She has met more U.S. presidents than any other head of state, thirteen of the

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  • Scholarship

    Examples of State Dinners Throughout History

    December 22, 1874: First State Dinner for a foreign head of state King David Kalakaua of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Hosted by President Ulysses S. Grant, the king had royal food testers to sample the more than 20-course White House dinner. 1902: The Roosevelt renovation included a major expansion of the State Dining Room from entertaining approximately 40 guests to the accommodation of 120 people.

  • Scholarship

    Reagan's Ranch in the Heavens

    Commonly known as “Ranch in the Sky,” Rancho del Cielo was President Ronald Reagan’s rural property in the Santa Ynez Mountains just outside Santa Barbara, California.1 The Pacific Ocean, just a few miles to the south, can be seen from the peaks that nestle the small ranch house.2 It was among these mountains that President Reagan found the perfect reprie

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    Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day": Entertainment

    The Roosevelts loved to entertain. During their thirteen-year stay in the White House, they used the mansion's grand setting to host receptions for congressmen, senators, governors, justices of the Supreme Court, foreign dignitaries, and even royalty. Less formal affairs included simple lunches or dinners with family and friends, intimate cocktail parties, teas, and game nights, as well as impromptu skits

  • Page

    Marian Anderson Performs at the White House

    One of the most memorable performances in White House history was Marian Anderson’s rendition of Schubert’s "Ave Maria" as the culmination of a gala "Evening of American Music" presented by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1939. The entertainment was planned for a state visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England. Anderson’s powerful voice soared that evenin

  • Page

    Visiting the White House

    Read Digital Edition Foreword, William SealeCollecting White House Memories: Silver Spoons as Souvenirs, Rebecca Yerkes RogersA Visit to the White House in the 1940s: A Childhood Memory, Jeannine Smith ClarkThe President Smiled at Me and Other Memories of Washington, Lonn TaylorGrand Duke Alexis, A "Scion of Despotism," Visits the Ulysses S. Grant White House, Lee A. FarrowThe Infanta Eulalia of

  • Gallery

    The United Kingdom and Ireland in the White House

    For over two centuries, the United Kingdom and Ireland have enjoyed a relationship with the United States unparalleled in world history. The White House Historical Association, together with the British Embassy and the Embassy of Ireland, is illuminating these remarkable historic connections by organizing a full-day symposium titled The United Kingdom and Ireland in the White House: A Conversation on

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