Later on Friday, the president and the first lady met the younger generation of royals. (AFP Photo)
WINDSOR, England:
US President Barack Obama flew to Queen Elizabeth's castle on Friday to wish happy birthday to the world's oldest monarch a day after she turned 90, calling her one of his favourite people and a personal inspiration.
The queen and her husband Prince Philip greeted the president and US first lady Michelle Obama as their helicopter touched down on the manicured lawns of Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world located about 20 miles (32 km) to the west of the British capital.
After chatting briefly, they climbed into the queen's Range Rover where the 94-year-old Philip drove them to the royal residence, which has been a family home for British monarchs for nearly 1,000 years, as trumpets sounded in the distance.
"I have to say I have never been driven by a Duke of Edinburgh before, but I can report it was very smooth riding," Obama later told reporters.
"The queen's been a source of inspiration for me like so many people around the world. She is truly one of my favourite people."
Elizabeth, by far the oldest monarch in British history who has met 11 US presidents, marked the milestone of reaching 90 with a walkabout on Thursday in Windsor where she met thousands of well-wishers.
Obama said he had passed on his own personal congratulations and presented the queen with a photo album chronicling her visits to the United States and previous presidential meetings, beginning in 1951 when she met President Harry Truman.
"Should we be fortunate enough to reach 90, may we be as vibrant as she is," Obama said. "She is an astonishing person and a real jewel to the world and not just the United Kingdom."
Thursday's lunch was Obama's third opportunity to meet the queen after a state visit with his wife in 2011, when they stayed at Buckingham Palace, and a private audience in 2009.
However, the trip to Windsor almost proved too much for one tough White House staffer who was so overwhelmed at meeting the queen she almost fainted, he added.
Later on Friday, the president and the first lady met the younger generation of royals - the queen's grandson Prince William and his wife Kate, and William's younger brother Harry - for a dinner at Kensington Palace in central London, with all dressed casually for the occasion.
The queen and her husband Prince Philip greeted the president and US first lady Michelle Obama as their helicopter touched down on the manicured lawns of Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world located about 20 miles (32 km) to the west of the British capital.
After chatting briefly, they climbed into the queen's Range Rover where the 94-year-old Philip drove them to the royal residence, which has been a family home for British monarchs for nearly 1,000 years, as trumpets sounded in the distance.
"I have to say I have never been driven by a Duke of Edinburgh before, but I can report it was very smooth riding," Obama later told reporters.
"The queen's been a source of inspiration for me like so many people around the world. She is truly one of my favourite people."
Elizabeth, by far the oldest monarch in British history who has met 11 US presidents, marked the milestone of reaching 90 with a walkabout on Thursday in Windsor where she met thousands of well-wishers.
Obama said he had passed on his own personal congratulations and presented the queen with a photo album chronicling her visits to the United States and previous presidential meetings, beginning in 1951 when she met President Harry Truman.
"Should we be fortunate enough to reach 90, may we be as vibrant as she is," Obama said. "She is an astonishing person and a real jewel to the world and not just the United Kingdom."
Thursday's lunch was Obama's third opportunity to meet the queen after a state visit with his wife in 2011, when they stayed at Buckingham Palace, and a private audience in 2009.
However, the trip to Windsor almost proved too much for one tough White House staffer who was so overwhelmed at meeting the queen she almost fainted, he added.
Later on Friday, the president and the first lady met the younger generation of royals - the queen's grandson Prince William and his wife Kate, and William's younger brother Harry - for a dinner at Kensington Palace in central London, with all dressed casually for the occasion.
© Thomson Reuters 2016
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