During her seventy-year reign on the British throne, Queen Elizabeth met thirteen sitting presidents, but there is one who stood out more than all the others, and that was Ronald Reagan.
The Queen’s connection to Reagan
In 1983, Reagan invited the Queen on a 10-day semi-private tour of the West Coast after learning that this had been a “long-held ambition.” Determined to win over the queen, Reagan invited her to spend time with him and her family at her ranch in California, and it was there that the British monarch got to do something that she “absolutely loved.”
While at Reagan’s ranch, he gave the queen the opportunity to feast on Mexican food for the first time and she immediately fell in love with the cuisine.
“There were enchiladas, chiles rellenos, refried beans, tacos, rice and guacamole,” David Charter, author of “Royal Audience: 13 Presidents-One Queen’s Special Relationship with America,” told Fox News.
“She loved it, especially the refried beans,” he continued with a laugh. “She said to one of Reagan’s guys, ‘I love this meal, especially the used beans.’ She hadn’t figured out the name yet, but she certainly liked it and she made it known to everyone present.
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Reagan was a favorite of the Queen
Of all the presidents the Queen spent time with during her reign, the conservative Reagan was one of her favorites.
“They developed such a closeness, especially during horseback riding,” Charter explained. “She would tell you that she liked all the presidents she met, but they shared a close bond, especially over their mutual love of horses. He was so warm and hospitable to her. This was extremely important to him. They got along terribly well.
During that 1983 visit, the Queen hosted Reagan and his wife Nancy on Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia in honor of their 31st wedding anniversary.
“It was a magical evening,” Reagan later wrote in his diary, according to the Reagan Library. “The Queen and her Highness are truly affectionate and nice people. Others came on board after dinner for a reception and we spent the night on board.”
Related: Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Remembers Queen Elizabeth II, ‘She Lived in a Better Time’
The Queen loved to visit America
Charter went on to say that the queen also later became involved with another prominent American conservative.
“She also got along wonderfully [first lady] Barbara Bush. She added. “She was similar to the queen, being a matriarch who had to take care of a large family on the public stage with perhaps a somewhat rebellious son who needed guidance, at least as a young man. And Barbara Bush loved dogs: that was a [guaranteed] subject to conquer the queen.
The Queen has reportedly thoroughly enjoyed her visits to the US, as they have given her the opportunity to let her hair down a bit in a way she could never do in the UK.
“When he visited America, he found his own sense of freedom,” Charter said. “Now, I’m not saying she ran around in jeans and went to rock concerts. But in terms of being queen, she enjoyed a freedom in America that was unheard of in Britain.”
Reagan died in 2004 at age 93 after a battle with Alzheimer’s, and the Queen died “peacefully” in 2022 at age 96 months after celebrating the 70th anniversary of her accession to the British throne.
Both Reagan and the Queen were true class acts who loved their country dearly, so it’s no surprise that they got along so well. If only there were more leaders like them in the world today!
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