In the video message, which aired during the Trooping the Colour broadcast on June 2, Barack Obama spoke warmly of Queen Elizabeth and of how she made him feel at home on his first trip to Buckingham Palace. Obama said the royal “actually reminded me a little bit of my grandmother” after that first visit. More than a decade later they’ve deepened their bond and “have formed a special relationship.” Obama said, “Certainly, I can say that getting to know her was one of the great privileges of my years in office. And I learned so much from seeing the example she set for all of us who have the privilege to serve.”
In his book “Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle,” royal author Tom Quinn quoted a former royal employee saying that Queen Elizabeth now “has a soft spot for Americans after meeting Barack Obama who she completely fell in love with – so much so that she has frequently asked her courtiers if they could arrange for him to come to Britain now he is no longer president” (via Insider).
While it seems that Obama wasn’t able to show up in person to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee celebration, here’s hoping that they are able to meet up soon!
