Princess Kate and Prince William have just welcomed the U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they arrived in Windsor today.
It has been a long-standing tradition, with the late Queen Elizabeth II meeting 13 out of the last 14 sitting U.S. presidents over the course of her 70-year reign.
It is believed that she particularly wished to meet President Barack Obama, for whom she had a special fondness. For context, Obama visited the U.K. in 2016, but the Queen's request reportedly sparked a 'serious row', according to a royal expert.
The Then-President and his wife, Michelle, arrived by helicopter on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Now, royal expert Robert Hardman weighed in on the Queen's casual suggestion which he explained, caused a 'very serious row' to start between the U.S. Secret Service and Buckingham Palace.
'The Secret Service said absolutely no way is that happening,' the royal biographer revealed on the Queens, Kings, and Dastardly Things podcast.
'The president can only be driven around by us. 'This created a real ding dong. I spoke to the US staff that has organised the trip and they said there was a very serious row over which car they (the Obamas)were going to go in and who was going to drive it.'
Interestingly, Obama and the First Lady were ultimately driven, not in a bullet-proof, bomb-proof vehicle, whatever, but in a Range Rover driven by Prince Philip.
'Michelle and the Queen were in the back, Philip was at the wheel and Obama was in the front, the author explained.
Obama also recalled the event in his own memoirs: 'As we got in the car, the Queen told him:' I am sure there's some rule about who sits where, but sit wherever you like.'
Speaking of the State Visit, the US leader told the press: 'I have to say I have never been driven by a Duke of Edinburgh before and I can report that it was very smooth riding.'
