The Obamas have landed – in England that is. Our first family visited their Royal family and Barack gave the Queen quite a gift – a loaded iPod. That’s right; our hip president gave the 82 year old British monarch an iPod, but not just any iPod. He loaded it with videos of her 2007 visit to the U.S. and Broadway songs. There were 40 show songs on iPod including tunes from “West Side Story,” “My Fair Lady,” “South Pacific,” “The King and I,” and “Oklahoma.” Barack also gave the Queen a songbook for “The King and I,” signed by composer Richard Rodgers.
What did Barack and Michelle get in return? They got what seems to be the standard house gift of a silver framed photo of the Queen and Prince Philip. Personally, I think the Queen got the better end of the deal.
Michelle started her meeting with the Queen with the customary handshake. While attending an evening reception for world leaders, the Queen did something quite un-customary – she hugged Michelle. The Queen is not known for showing such affection in public, so the First Lady must have made a really good impression. Of course, Michelle hugged back.
After the reception, there was a dinner at Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Downing Street home, where Michelle was able to rub shoulders with some other famous British women such as J.K. Rowling and Kelly Holmes (who won a gold medal at the Olympics). Holmes reported that the First Lady was “warm” and “engaging” as well as “beautiful.”
Today, after taking in a performance at the Royal Opera House, Michelle visited an all-girls school and encouraged the young women to continue their education by thinking of school as “cool.” She told them everything they needed to succeed was right before them. She ended that visit with hugs as well.
Michelle also won over the oft hard to please British press, with the BBC saying she was her husband’s co-star rather than supporting act.