Late Queen drew 'roar of laughter' as she made history during US Congress address
On this day in 1991, the late Queen Elizabeth II made history as the first British monarch to address the US Congress.
Queen Elizabeth II addresses US Congress in 1991
In May 1991, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip travelled to the US for a royal tour which saw the couple spend time in Washington, Baltimore, Virginia and Texas.
Perhaps most notably, the Queen became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the United States Congress, making her the first British monarch to do so.
On May 16, she addressed both houses of Congress on Capitol Hill, opening her speech with her iconic sense of humour.
“I do hope you can see me today from where you are,” she said — a comment which, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, drew “a roar of laughter and standing applause for her self-deprecating humour”.
The Queen was referring to the day before when she had delivered a short speech during the White House welcoming ceremony.
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Having stood at the lectern following President George H.W. Bush, who was considerably taller than the monarch, only the brim of her purple-and-white hat had been visible to television audiences as her face was hidden by microphones.
Robert Hardman wrote about the incident in his book about the late monarch, Queen of the World.
“The 1991 state visit was arranged by way of thanks and celebration but it began with some unexpected comedy on the White House lawn,” he wrote.
“After President Bush’s formal welcome, he invited the Queen to the lectern. Given the difference in height between the two leaders, he was supposed to press a pedal and raise the dais for her. But he forgot.”
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He continued: “As a result, the Queen was all but invisible. The moment was immortalized by NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski. “’She’s gone!’” he exclaimed. ‘All I got is a talking hat!’ Thereafter, royal staff would call this ‘the talking hat tour.’”
The next day, the Queen spoke from the same podium that American presidents use for addressing members of the House and Senate.
She donned a peach hat and dress for her congressional appearance, which was witnessed by a full house of congressmen, ambassadors, socialites and press — all of whom had crammed into the chamber to pay their respects to a British monarch.
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, sat by his wife’s side as she made her historic address.
Although the Queen began on a humorous note, she went on to talk about serious themes of self-government and international, touching on the experience of the Persian Gulf War, in which British and American soldiers fought together.
“I salute the outstanding leadership of your President and the courage and prowess of the armed forces of the United States,” she said. “I know the servicemen and women of Britain, and all the members of the coalition, were proud to act in a just cause alongside their American comrades.”
The monarch also touched on the “special relationship” between the two countries, sharing her hopes that the UK would be part of a unified Europe that would work in harmony with the US.
“All our history in this and earlier centuries underlines the basic point that the best progress is made when Europeans and Americans act in concert,” she said. “We must not allow ourselves to be enticed into a form of continental insularity.”
Ending with the guaranteed crowd-pleaser, “May God Bless America,” the Queen received a standing ovation — having already been interrupted by applause several times during the 15-minute speech, and received an overwhelming ovation when she first entered the chamber and after her quick quip.
At the White House state banquet, President Bush saluted the Queen, describing a relationship “which has never been more special,” noted Mr Hardman.
Sir David Manning, who was the ambassador to Britain from 2003 to 2007, told the author Queen Elizabeth was “very comfortable with Bush”.
“There they all were, walking around like old friends,” he said. “Those occasions touch people in a way that is very hard to measure but it matters.”