On February 6, 1952, Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne after the death of her father King George VI. In seventy years of reign, she meets an incredible number of great personalities, such as presidents, ministers, and other celebrities. Here is a short summary of her meetings in order to realize the Queen’s reign between the middle of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. 10 Presidents of the French Republic She began her reign with Vincent Auriol, then met René Coty in France in 1957. She is 31 years old. Then follow the presidents of the Fifth Republic, where she welcomes De Gaulle who drinks to the prosperity of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. To Georges Pompidou, she says “we are not driving on the same side of the road, but we are going in the same direction” following the United Kingdom’s entry into the European common market. After Giscard d’Estaing, the Queen became friends with Mitterand, who once again supported the importance of the United Kingdom in Europe. Then Chirac stood out for his humor, Sarkozy went to London in 2008, and Hollande and Macron were the last to have the honor of meeting Elizabeth. 13 American presidents In 1951, she met Truman, but Elizabeth was not yet what a princess. The first president met as queen was Eisenhower, in 1953. Then she invited Kennedy to Buckingham in 1960, danced with Ford at a ball organized in 1976, and fell out with Carter in 1977. In the 1980s, Reagan is invited to ride in Windsor Park with the Queen. She then meets Bush at a baseball field. In 2003, Bush junior aged the Queen by 200 years during a speech, and during the meeting with the Obamas, Michelle even allowed herself to hug her. two, even three popes, the Queen rubbed shoulders with seven. Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and our good old Francis. John Paul I and Paul VI never met the Queen, but with John Paul II they saw each other twice. In 2014, Elizabeth traveled to the Vatican to shake hands with Pope Francis. It was her last visit to the Holy Land. 15 British Prime Ministers During her seventy-year reign, the Queen has seen fifteen people lead the government of the country in which she lived. It started with Winston Churchill, and we note the somewhat tense relationship with Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s (luckily she had her friend Mitterrand).6 James BondSean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, all the best British spies have had the chance to meet their Queen. Moreover, they were all together in 2002 for the premiere of Die Another Day, with guest Elizabeth II herself. Daniel Craig was the last Bond to rub shoulders with her, notably during the premiere of Casino Royale. Many other stars Charlie Chaplin during his exile in Europe in 1952, Marilyn Monroe in 1956 for the premiere of The Battle of Rio de la Plata, Frank Sinatra in 1958, the Beatles in 1965, an encounter whose images cannot be found today, Gorbachev in 1989, Nelson Mandela in 1996, who even succeeded in making her dance to Phil Collins, the Queen has traveled throughout the history of our modern world. Madonna, Ed Sheeran, J. Lo, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Sting, Kylie Minogue… The Queen has really shaken hands with all the big names in music. But if you have to remember one meeting, it’s the one with the Spice Girls in 1997 at the Royal Variety Performance. It should also be noted that in 1962, Elvis Presley, who was then at the height of his career, refused the Queen’s invitation to the Royal Variety Show, which could have been one of the most iconic meetings of his reign.
