Throughout her seventy year reign on the British throne, Queen Elizabeth met thirteen sitting presidents, but there’s one who stood out to her above all the rest, and that was Ronald Reagan.
The Queen’s Bond With Reagan
Back in 1983, Reagan invited the Queen on a 10-day semiprivate tour of the West Coast after learning that this had been a “long-held ambition” of hers. Determined to win the Queen over, Reagan invited her to spend time with him and his family on his California ranch, and it was there that the British monarch got to do something that she “absolutely loved.”
While on 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 absolutely loved it, especially the refried beans,” he continued with a laugh. “She told one of Reagan’s guys, ‘I really love this meal, especially the used beans.’ She hadn’t quite gotten the name of it, but she certainly enjoyed it and made it well-known to everyone there.”
Related: Unveiling the Gipper: 10 Lesser-Known Facts About Ronald Reagan
Reagan Was A Favorite Of The Queen’s
Of all the presidents that the Queen got to spend time with over the course of her reign, the conservative Reagan was a known favorite of hers.
“They developed such a closeness, especially over horseback riding,” Charter explained. “She would tell you she liked every president she met, but they did share a close bond, especially over their mutual love of horses. He was so affable and hospitable to her. That was extremely important to him. They got along terrifically.”
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 magic evening,” Reagan wrote in his diary afterwards, according to The Reagan Library. “The Queen & His Highness are really warm, likable people. Others came aboard after dinner for a reception & we spent the night on board.”
Related: Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Remembers Queen Elizabeth II, ‘She Lived During A Better Time’
The Queen Loved Visiting America
Charter went on to say that the Queen later bonded with another prominent American conservative as well.
“She also got along wonderfully with [first lady] Barbara Bush.” he added. “She was similar to the queen, being a matriarch who had to look after a big family on the public stage with perhaps a slightly wayward son who needed guidance, at least as a young man. And Barbara Bush loved dogs – that was a [guaranteed] subject to win the queen over.”
The Queen reportedly greatly enjoyed her visits to the United States, as they allowed her the opportunity to let her hair down a bit in a way that she could never do back in the United Kingdom.
“When she visited America, she found her personal sense of freedom,” Charter said. “Now, I’m not saying she was running around in jeans and going to rock concerts. But in terms of being queen, she had a freedom in America that was unheard of in Britain.”
Reagan died back in 2004 at the age of 93 after a battle of Alzheimer’s, and the Queen passed away “peacefully” in 2022 at the age of 96 months after celebrating the 70th anniversary of her ascending the British throne.
Both Reagan and the Queen were true class acts who each loved their countries dearly, so it comes as no surprise that they got along so well. If only there were more leaders like them left in the world today!
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