Former American President Barack Obama completely conquered the heart of Britain's reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II during his state visit to the United Kingdom back in 2009, an ex-Palace staffer told Tom Quinn, according to his new book “Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir From Queen Mary To Meghan Markle”.
“The Queen 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”, the former employee was quoted in the book as saying.
The 94-year-old monarch officially hosted Barack Obama and his wife Michelle on several other state occasions, in 2011 and 2016, during which she reportedly developed a close friendship with the former first lady as well, with the two being photographed together with arms around each other’s backs – something which was criticised as breaking royal protocol. However, according to the memoirs of the Queen’s senior dresser Angela Kelly, the monarch did not seem to mind the move, as “instant and mutual warmth” was shared between the two ladies.
“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”, Kelly wrote in her 2019 book “The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe”.