Presidents and Monarchs: Queen Elizabeth's First Visit as Monarch
In October of 1957, Queen Elizabeth II made her first visit to the United States as monarch. The 31-year-old monarch was greeted at the White House by President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie. He was the first serving president she met during her reign, which had begun in 1952. President Eisenhower had sent his official aircraft, the Columbine III, to Patrick Henry Airport in Newport News, Virginia, to fly the royal party to Washington. The queen had in from Canada on the previous day, and she was there to mark the 350th anniversary celebration of the founding of England’s first permanent settlement in the New World in 1607 at Jamestown. After touring the Jamestown Settlement exhibits, the royal couple visited the College of William & Mary. They spent the night at the posh Williamsburg Inn. A reception was held Oct. 16 at the Governor's Palace Gardens in Williamsburg, where a crowd of hundreds of people were able to spend some time observing the royals as they mingled with the VIPs in attendance. The next day thousands of people lined the streets of Washington, DC on October 17th as the Queen's motorcade made its way to the White House, accompanied by President Eisenhower. The Queen also visited Arlington National Cemetery where she placed wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice.
At a White House state dinner hosted by the president that evening, the queen said: “There are many indications today that we are at the beginning of a new age of discovery and exploration in the world of human knowledge and technology. Only a short time ago these unexplored areas of human knowledge seemed as impenetrable as the forests of this continent to the settlers 350 years ago.” The Queen was given a tour of the Capitol by Vice-President Richard Nixon the following day, and also made a visit to Children's Hospital where she was presented with a doll intended as a gift for Princess Anne, a gift from a seven year old African-American child named Pamela Springmann. The next day on October 19, the Queen had what must have been a novel experience for her, as she attended a College Football game between North Carolina State and Maryland. She met with the co-captains of the teams prior to the start of the game and stayed to watch the Maryland Terrapins defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels 21-7. On their way back to the White House, the royal party stopped in at the supermarket at the queen’s request in College Park, Md.
On October 21, the Queen and her husband Prince Phillip visited New York City where they visited the Empire State Building and viewed the Manhattan skyline from a telescope on the building's observatory deck. The Queen remarked, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She also visited the Statue of Liberty. That day she was once again greeted by crowds as she rode down Broadway and was given a ticker-tape parade. Later that day she addressed the United Nations General Assembly.
The Queen would make four more visits to the United States: in July 1976 for the US Bicentennial (with President Gerald Ford), in February-March of 1983 (with President Reagan), in May 1991 (with President George H. W. Bush), and in May of 2007 (with President George W. Bush.)
At a White House state dinner hosted by the president that evening, the queen said: “There are many indications today that we are at the beginning of a new age of discovery and exploration in the world of human knowledge and technology. Only a short time ago these unexplored areas of human knowledge seemed as impenetrable as the forests of this continent to the settlers 350 years ago.” The Queen was given a tour of the Capitol by Vice-President Richard Nixon the following day, and also made a visit to Children's Hospital where she was presented with a doll intended as a gift for Princess Anne, a gift from a seven year old African-American child named Pamela Springmann. The next day on October 19, the Queen had what must have been a novel experience for her, as she attended a College Football game between North Carolina State and Maryland. She met with the co-captains of the teams prior to the start of the game and stayed to watch the Maryland Terrapins defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels 21-7. On their way back to the White House, the royal party stopped in at the supermarket at the queen’s request in College Park, Md.
On October 21, the Queen and her husband Prince Phillip visited New York City where they visited the Empire State Building and viewed the Manhattan skyline from a telescope on the building's observatory deck. The Queen remarked, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She also visited the Statue of Liberty. That day she was once again greeted by crowds as she rode down Broadway and was given a ticker-tape parade. Later that day she addressed the United Nations General Assembly.
The Queen would make four more visits to the United States: in July 1976 for the US Bicentennial (with President Gerald Ford), in February-March of 1983 (with President Reagan), in May 1991 (with President George H. W. Bush), and in May of 2007 (with President George W. Bush.)