This was a true delight. As a self-professed Angophile and royal history nerd, this was such a riveting read and for me, at least, a new take on Queen Elizabeth II's reign through the lens of her relationships with the U.S. Presidents. I learned so much about the relationship between the two countries and the ways in which its' leaders interact with one another. I came away with more of an admiration for QE2, and I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning more about British history and the royal family.

In this recounting of Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship with several American presidents, David Charter explores the “Special Relationship” between England and the United States starting with George VI and the Queen Mother in the 1930s. Containing both the American and the English perspectives, Charter explores the late Queen’s interactions with presidents from Eisenhower and Truman to Trump and Biden in the last years of her reign. Charter includes anecdotes about various state and informal visits by both parties as well as quotes from interviews and official statements. Covering the Queen’s 70-year reign, Charter explains her relationships with several presidents and her role in preserving the Anglo-American friendship and alliance in the postwar world. Charter’s prose is simple and clear, and he supplements his book with quotes, photos, and other documents relating to the Queen and the American presidents of note. This collation of American-British leadership friendliness presents a holistic picture of this dynamic for readers interested in a below-surface-level exploration and analysis of the topic. Good for adult readers of all ages, this is a fascinating book with great insights into the political and personal friendships between the American presidents and the late Queen Elizabeth II over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

This was a good read. Queen Elizabeth, by this reading, sounds like she was a fun, cheerful person. And she accomplished so much in her 70 years as Queen. I am so glad and honored she enjoyed her stays with past Presidents while she visited the United States. I read she really enjoyed President Eisenhower and President Ronald Reagan. I agree with her on that, because I believe they were great Presidents to the United States. Thank you to #NetGalley , author, and publishers for the opportunity to read and review #RoyalAudience with my honest thoughts and opinions.k

This book reinforces my love for Queen Elizabeth II and gives me insight into some of our presidents and their wives. The book starts with n interPresident Eisenhower and the royal visit right after Elizabeth was elevated from princess to queen and ends with President Biden and the monarch's death. There are sweet observances (Michelle Obama putting her arm around the queen--and the queen reciprocating the action), funny mistakes--"the talking hat" or playing the "Lady is a Tramp" just as the queen goes out to dance, or sad instances--the assassination of John Kennedy or the death of Princess Diana. This book also stresses and repeats examples of the special relationship between Britain and the US. This is a book that can be enjoyed by anglophiles,historians, or anyone with an interest in United States presidents.

I found it very interesting to read what the US President and people close to them thought of Queen Elizabeth II. I enjoyed the stories of their meetings and what was going on at the time. Some of the more recent stories are familiar but there were many I was not aware of. It was an enjoyable look at history.

Thank you to the author, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this arc.


Looking at the cover and reading the blurb, I went into this book hoping for a bit of “behind the scenes” and maybe little tidbits of historical information from the many meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and the fourteen US presidents she met over the course of her life. I did learn some things but honestly not as much as I wished.

I’ll be frank and say that the extensive background on the international events of the day was probably needed – especially in the case of the things that influenced US/UK relations 70 years ago (how up are you on the Suez Canal Crisis of 1955?) – but these were inserted as history lessons and they read as one. There were also exchanges of excruciatingly correct notes.

Once things got personal and the trips/state visits were delved into, I enjoyed the little glimpses of these relationships. Beginning with President Truman while she was still Princess Elizabeth, including President Hoover long after his term, and continuing through President Biden, the Queen was seemingly wielded as diplomatic “oil on troubled waters.”

Despite the protocol filled meetings, from the information and recollections of those there, her tact, charm, sharp sense of humor, and decades of experience did seem to work a charm. From being on the receiving end of a hug from a woman in Maryland, visiting a US grocery story along with Prince Philip, exchanging views on standing for hours in heels with Michelle Obama, or enjoying private visits to the US where she could “let her hair down” a bit more than was possible in the UK, the Queen rolled with the punches, smiled through summer humidity in DC, and forged relationships with the presidents that they fondly recall.


Perhaps it’s better that the curtain not be entirely pulled back and some of the mystique remain but there are quick flashes here that give a peek into what made her special and such an unrivaled asset for British relations with the US. B-

I love everything to do with the British Royal Family, but this book was very dull. It read like one long Wikipedia article. I expected there to be a lot more information about Her Majesty's relationship with the presidents and their conversations and meetings but there was much more history about what was going on during the time periods rather than intimate details between world leaders.

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC.

Charter takes the reader chapter by chapter through Queen Elizabeth II’s encounters and communications with the 13 American presidents who took office during her reign. As part of each chapter, he describes the political and historical events of the time, and the state of the so-called special relationship between the US and UK. Then, the anecdotes.

The anecdotes are interesting and often funny, but Charter’s writing of background and context for these anecdotes tends to be on the dry and didactic side, and the texts of the formal pronouncements issued by each side about these meetings are often dully formal. I am an avid reader of history, and this book is of interest when it describes the Queen’s diplomatic role in times of strain, but I couldn’t help feeling that Charter is less skilled than many writers at making history feel relevant and engaging.

Royal Audience: 70 years, 13 American presidents -- One Queen's Special Relationship with America

Queen Elizabeth II enchanted those she met as young princess. She was raised to believe duty was important and the Crown must survive, which it did throughout her 70 year reign.

Queen Elizabeth II developed relationships with thirteen U.S. presidents—Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, both Bush Sr. and Jr., Clinton, Obama, Trump, and Biden. Some were personal and others less so. The Royal Audience shares the bond between the U.S. and the U.K.

One of the more interesting parts was with President Clinton when he was asked why American Presidents carved out time again and again to meet with someone who did not have any real power in their government. He replied " You do it the first time because it is a show of respect to the country. You do it the second or the third time either because she wants to do it and invites you, or because you got something out of it. And I gained a much keener insight into the whole culture of the county. She was an amazing woman. When her own marriage had problems, she felt pain. When her children were troubled it bothered her as a mother and a representative of the country in terms of what it would do to the crown. I'm telling you, she knew that her job was to keep the UK on track with America. There's something to be said for someone who wants to keep the show on the road and Queen Elizabeth did. By and large, she succeeded." This quote about why they met with her repeatedly struck me as insightful. Often times people do these things for bragging rights or for the power they think they have. But I honestly believe that Queen Elizabeth was a very special woman and for the most part people were truly in awe of her ability to say the right thing and to make them believe she cared. It takes an extraordinary person to meet with as many important individuals as she had and leave a long-lasting favorable impression with them.

This is a wonderful testament to Queen Elizabeth. It makes me wonder which of her heirs will have the same legacy as she.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts are my own. Great book about Oueen Elizabeth and her relationship with America. It covers her visits with Presidents and her trip to Canada and the great lakes. I really enjoyed this book, the history and backstory was very entertaining. Totally recommend.