Revealed at last: The late Queen's favourite US president

Queen Elizabeth and President George W. Bush

The late Queen travelled to the United States many times to visit different presidents

Getty
Hannah Ross

By Hannah Ross


Published: 31/03/2024

- 14:00

The Queen met with 13 of the US presidents during her 70-year reign

  • The only president that the Queen did not meet during her reign was Lyndon B Johnson
  • The Queen first visited the United States as Princess Elizabeth in 1951
  • Have your say: Who was your favourite US president? Just click the comment button above now

During her reign of over 70 years, the late Queen Elizabeth II met with 13 US presidents from Harry Truman to Joe Biden.

Queen Elizabeth had a unique relationship with each president, providing an understanding of the long-standing alliance between Great Britain and the United States.


The late Queen was the first royal to fly across the Atlantic while she was Princess Elizabeth to meet with President Truman.

When she landed on October 31, 1952, Truman exclaimed: “When I was a little boy I read about a fairy princess- and there she is.”

Queen Elizabeth and President George W. Bush

The late Queen travelled to the United States many times to visit different presidents

Getty

Although the Queen never admitted it, one president does stand out as a favourite of the late monarch.

In 1957, the Queen and President Eisenhower began what would be the beginning of a strong relationship.

The Queen flew to the US to help repair US-UK relations after the Suez crisis where she attended her first American football game and iconicly asked: “How can they hit each other that hard without injury?”

During her meeting with Donald Trump, the US president didn’t shy away from asking the Queen who her favourite president was.

Queen Elizabeth and Donald Trump

Donald Trump asked the Queen who her favourite US president was during a meeting

Getty

US President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II

US President Barack Obama visited the Queen for her 90th birthday

Getty

Trump asked: “Who was your favourite president? Was it Ronald Reagan?”

The Queen answered, as diplomatic as ever: “No, no, everybody. I liked them all.”

However, the Queen’s actions suggest that President Eisenhower played a special role in Elizabeth’s life.

Eisenhower was the only president that the Queen ever invited to stay at her beloved home in Balmoral, the only president who had a relationship with Elizabeth’s parents and the only one who put the monarch up in the White House private quarters.

Queen Elizabeth II with US president Dwight D Eisenhower

Dwight D Eisenhower is the only US president that the Queen invited to stay at Balmoral

Getty

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Queen Elizabeth sent Eisenhower a letter with her drop scone recipe after his visit to Scotland

Getty

While Eisenhower visited the Queen in Scotland with his wife, Mamie, he fell in love with the Queen’s drop scones.

This led to Elizabeth sending him the recipe accompanied by a personal letter in 1960.

At the end of her letter, the Queen showed her admiration for the president stating: “We remember with such pleasure your visit to Balmoral, and I hope the photograph will be a reminder of the very happy day you spent with us.”

Two other presidents also stand out during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth: Reagan shared her love of horses and Obama made a special visit to the monarch for her 90th birthday.

Queen Elizabeth II and Ronald Reagan

Queen Elizabeth II riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle with US President Ronald Reagan

Getty

Obama also met with the Queen’s grandsons, William and Harry several times.

The only president that the Queen did not meet during her reign was Lyndon B Johnson, but neither the palace nor the White House explained a reason for this.

During her reign throughout the 1960s, the Queen also met with John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon and in the 70s Elizabeth met with Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

The Queen also met with Ronald Reagan multiple times; he was the first president to stay the night at Windsor Castle.

In the final period of her reign, the Queen hosted George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and lastly, Joe Biden.

You may like