During the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations on Thursday, Barack Obama paid tribute to her, calling her a “gift”
to the world and comparing her to his grandmother.
Obama’s tribute aired during the BBC’s coverage of the Queen’s 70th year on the throne celebration. During his
administration, he and Michelle Obama met with the Queen three times and developed personal connections with
various members of the Royal Family.
‘When you’re president of the United States, you meet a lot of remarkable people, and you try under all
circumstances to retain your composure,’ Obama said in his tribute. ‘But that’s harder than you think when you’re
visiting Her Majesty.’
He admitted that he and Michelle were both scared before meeting her for the first time in April 2009.
‘Before I took office, Michelle and I hadn’t been to too many palaces,’ he noted. ‘So, we weren’t sure what to expect
on our first trip to Buckingham. But we shouldn’t have been worried. Her Majesty put us at ease with her grace and
generosity. So much so that I walked away thinking she actually reminded me a little bit of my grandmother.’
Madelyn Dunham, Obama’s grandmother, raised him from the age of ten while his mother worked in Indonesia. In
October 2008, Obama paid an emotional visit to Hawaii, halting his presidential campaign to pay his respects to
mom before she died.
Obama claimed that he and the Queen had developed their own’special relationship.’
‘I like to think Her Majesty and I have formed a special relationship of our own,’ Obama said in his tribute to the
Queen. ‘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.’
He described her life as a gift to the UK and the rest of the world.
‘Your Majesty, it would be an understatement to say the world has changed a bit in the seven decades since you
first came to power. But your character never has. Your steadfast stewardship of one of our most important
democracies has made the world safer and more prosperous through war and peace, times of adversity, and times
of prosperity. Your life has been a gift, not just to the United Kingdom, but for the world.’
Obama ended his remarks by saying: ‘It is with gratitude for your leadership and the kindness you’ve shown me and
my family that I say: May the light of your crown continue to reign supreme.’
During Barack Obama’s eight years in government, the Obamas paid three visits to the Queen: in April 2009, May
2011, and April 2016.
Michelle Obama was seen placing her arm around the Queen during her 2009 visit, which was legally a breach of
royal decorum.
However, the Queen’s dressmaker, Angela Kelly, stated in her 2009 book that the Queen was not offended.
‘Much has been made about the meeting between Michelle and Her Majesty, when an instant and mutual warmth
was shared between these two remarkable women, and protocol was seemingly ‘abandoned’ as they stood closely
with their arms around each other’s backs,’ Kelly noted.
‘In reality, it was a natural instinct for the Queen to show affection and respect for another great woman, and really
there is no protocol that must be adhered to.’
In 2011, the Queen hosted a lavish state dinner for them and allowed them to stay at Buckingham Palace.
Obama paid tribute to her reign in his speech.
‘This dinner is a humbling reminder of the fleeting nature of presidencies and prime ministerships. Your Majesty’s
reign has spanned about a dozen of each, and counting. That makes you both a living witness to the power of our
alliance and a chief source of its resilience,’ he said.
‘She is truly one of my favorite people,’ Obama said of the Queen during his 2016 visit to London.
During Obama’s presidency, the Obamas developed a close relationship with the British royal family.
Princes Charles and William paid separate visits to the White House and were seated in the Oval Office.
Prince Harry’s Invictus Games was also backed by the Obamas. To commemorate the games, they famously taped a
video smackdown with Prince Harry and the Queen.
The Queen made an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday to mark her 70th year on the
throne.
As tens of thousands of Britons cheered and waved the Union Jack, she was joined by four generations of the Royal
Family.
The 96-year-old monarch shouted ‘amazing!’ as she gave the salute after coming from Windsor Castle, wearing her
Guards brooch and the blue Angela Kelly costume she wore in her official Platinum Jubilee photograph.
Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William, and Kate, as well as their children, stood at her side. Prince Harry, Meghan
Markle, and Prince Andrew have no place on the Palace balcony because they are no longer working royals.
The Queen, who was wearing sunglasses, smiled broadly as she observed the patriotic sights, offering broad smiles
as she took in the six-minute flypast, which included Apache helicopters, Typhoons, and the Red Arrows. Fifteen RAF
Typhoons flew in formation as the number 70 to pay honour to the Queen’s reign.
The Queen had previously made a surprise appearance on the balcony to observe the troops, which is known as
Trooping the Color.
The first of four days of activities begins on Thursday. A military procession with hundreds of Army musicians, 240
horses, a Royal Air Force flyover, and a gun salute were among the highlights of the event.