A private chat with the Royal newlyweds & a wedding gift...After arriving at Buckingham Palace and being welcomed by The Queen, President Obama and First Lady Obama met briefly with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the 1844 Room. Prince William is second in line to the throne after his father, The Prince of Wales, who earlier had escorted the Obamas from Winfield House to the Palace. (Above: The President chats with the Prince, while Mrs. Obama chats with The Duchess)
The meeting was the first official duty the newlyweds have engaged in since their wedding in April, and The Duchess' very first outing as a member of the Royal Family. The White House sent formal congratulations when the couple married, and today the President and First Lady presented them with a wedding gift: Six MacBook Notebook computers were donated to Peace Players International in Belfast, Ireland, a charity of the Duke and Duchess’ choosing. Details about other State Gifts presented by the President and First Lady to the Royal Family are here; and included special gifts for The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall from Mrs. Obama's White House Kitchen Garden. More on the gift IS HERE.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge did not attend the private luncheon hosted by The Queen for the President and First Lady, nor will they attend the evening's State Banquet at Buckingham Palace. A palace aide said they do not typically attend such affairs.
Before the meeting, The Queen gave the President and First Lady a tour of the six-room suite where they will stay during their three-day State Visit. It is the same suite the newlyweds occupied, according to a Palace spokesman.
"It may not be the same bed. It is the same suite," said a Palace aide.
*Top photo by Pete Souza/White House; second by Getty
