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Inside Queen Elizabeth II’s complex relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin

The uncharacteristically warm message sent by Vladimir Putin after the Queen’s death masks a relationship with her family that is far from civil.

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The polite and uncharacteristically warm message sent by the Russian President to the newly installed King, in the hours after Queen Elizabeth II’s death had some confused.

Despite public condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other incidents that challenged diplomacy, he appeared earnest and sorrowful in his message.

On Thursday evening, local time, Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the monarch, and described her passing as an “irreparable loss”.

“The most important events in the recent history of the United Kingdom are inextricably linked with the name of Her Majesty,” read a message that was sent from Mr Putin to King Charles III.

“For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage.”

Mr Putin also addressed King Charles III directly, and added: “I wish you courage and resilience in the face of this difficult, irreparable loss. May I ask you to pass on sincere condolences and support to members of the royal family and the entire people of Great Britain.”

On Saturday, Mr Putin also became the first leader world leader to congratulate King Charles III, after his official Accession Ceremony, which saw him become the next monarch of the United Kingdoms and Commonwealth realms. Despite this, it’s been confirmed that the Russian leader will not be attending the Queen’s state funeral on September 19. Kremlin representative, Dimitry Peskov confirmed a representative for Russia will go in his place.

“Your Majesty, Please accept my sincere congratulations on your accession to the throne. I wish Your Majesty success, good health and all the best,” a translation of the telegram read.

Despite the apparent pleasantries, Mr Putin’s relationship with the British royal family has been prickly, especially in the months after Russia’s much-condemned invasion into Ukraine.

The Queen and Putin

In 1994, the Queen became the first British monarch to enter Russia during a state visit. At the time, a spokesperson for the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin noted that: “the British queen would never have visited a Communist country”.

Putin also visited the UK in 2003 and the late monarch has been photographed with the likes of Russian Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Alexy II and Mikhail Gorbachev – the last leader of the Soviet Union.

While photos from Mr Putin’s UK visit shows him smiling with the Queen, attending a trip to Edinburgh, and later hosting a return banquet for her majesty, tensions appeared to bubble under the surface.

At the time it was reported that the Russian leader had left the Queen waiting for 14 minutes prior to an engagement.

In March 2022, in the weeks after Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, a senior former member of government, also revealed the Queen’s backhanded passing comment that spoke volumes.

“The only time I met Vladimir Putin was back in 2003 on an official visit and my then dog barked very loudly,” said the UK’s then Press Secretary David Blunkett, speaking to the BBC.

“I did apologise to the Queen who was obviously hosting.

“I don’t think I am giving anything away when I said, ‘Sorry your Majesty about the dog barking.

“She said, ‘Dogs have interesting instincts, don’t they?’”

King Charles III’ ‘unacceptable’ Putin jab

Behind the Queen’s diplomacy, King Charles III has been more active and evident in his condemnation against Mr Putin.

In 2014, the then Duke of Wales came under fire for a reported remark he made to a volunteer at the Jewish museum in Canada, in which he compared Mr Putin to Adolf Hitler.

In response, Mr Putin denounced the comment as “unacceptable” and “wrong,” and “not what monarchs do”.

A lengthier statement shared to the Press Association chief executive Clive Marshall he said: “Give my words to Prince Charles. He has been to our country more than once, if he made such a comparison, it is unacceptable and I am sure he understands that as a man of manners.”

The royal’s comments went against one of the royal family’s key rules that require them to remain politically neutral and unbiased. The code extends that sees the family abstain from voting, despite there being no official British law that prohibiting the practice.

On the official Royal.uk website, under the section ‘the King’s role in Government,’ the page states that: “As Head of State The Kin has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters”.

Then again in 2022, King Charles’ became the first royals to denounce the actions of Mr Putin when he unleashed war on Ukraine. Speaking at a council meeting at the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea in England, he said the invasion was “unconscionable”.

“In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression,” he said.

In the aftermath of his comments, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Prince William and Kate Middleton released similar statements which shared their solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future. Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future 🇺🇦 W & C — The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) February 26, 2022

Russians share their grief over Queen’s death

In Mr Putin’s homeland, the response to Queen Elizabeth’s death has largely been restrained and positive.

According to UK publication, The Spectator , Russian media have respectful, despite the anti-west slant it often takes. The publication quotes a prominent Russian tabloid, Komsomolskaya Pravda which described the Queen as the “the last living titan of the 20th century”.

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Since Friday, some Russians have even taken to laying flowers, candles and handmade tributes outside the British embassy.

Armed with a pink bouquet, Russian man Muscovite Anton Avramets told Reuters that: “Despite what is going on now, the Queen and the royal house have always been the personification of peace and goodness”.

“She was one of the strongest leaders of Western countries, and now it’s a shame the world has lost her,” his wife, Karina added.

Prince William has returned to work following his wife’s cancer diagnosis and has made a promise regarding Kate’s health.

After swirling chatter he could eventually return to the UK, the Duke of Sussex has made an official decision about his future.

The Duchess of Sussex is harbouring a growing fear as the rift widens between her and Harry’s family, it’s been claimed.

Putin left The Queen waiting for 14 mins and she broke protocol to make snide remark

Vladimir Putin and The Queen have a tense relationship - with the Russian leader awkwardly making her wait and Her Majesty reportedly making an intriguing comment during his visit in 2003

• 12:36, 28 Feb 2022
• Updated 19:07, 28 Feb 2022

The Queen usually doesn't comment on world leaders - but she reportedly made an exception for Vladimir Putin .

Her opinions on the Russian leader will undoubtedly have got even worse since his government launched their assault on Ukraine on Thursday.

Tensions between Britain and Russia have escalated and Buckingham Palace are braced for the worst case scenario.

In the event of bomb ever hitting the UK , 'Operation Candid' would be rolled out as a possible nuclear escape which would ensure the Royal Family are safe and secure.

The Queen has met Putin on a number of occasions - with their most eventful meeting coming during his state visit to the UK in 2003.

Putin is known for his bad, or perhaps intentionally tardy, timekeeping and he made the Palace nervous by keeping The Queen waiting for 14 minutes.

Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here .

Later on, a dog's reaction to Putin allegedly prompted The Queen to break royal protocol and take a brutal swipe at the Russian President.

According to David Blunkett, who was Home Secretary at the time, his guide dog reacted defensively towards Putin.

Mr Blunkett told the BBC : "The only time I met Vladimir Putin was back in 2003 on an official visit and my then dog barked very loudly.

"I did apologise to the Queen who was obviously hosting. I don’t think I am giving anything away when I said, 'Sorry your Majesty about the dog barking.'

"She said, 'Dogs have interesting instincts, don’t they?'"

The alleged remark would be a break from royal protocol as The Queen must usually remain "strictly neutral with respect to political matters".

Back in June 2014, The Queen was seated away from Putin during a D-Day commemoration event in France.

The pair gathered with world leaders at Chateau de Benouville in Normandy, which was awkwardly just months after Prince Charles was alleged to have compared Putin's rule to the Nazi regime.

The tension was seemingly laid bare when everyone went to pose for a group photo.

The Queen was helped down a set of steps by then US President Barack Obama and New Zealand's Governor-General Jerry Mateparae.

But observes pointed out that Putin, who was stood close to them but not looking in their direction, did not bother to help the elderly monarch.

In 2018, Russia remarkably slammed the Queen for downing gin, wine and champagne every day in a 'fake news' propaganda blast against the UK.

Senator Aleksey Pushkov, an ally of Putin, said the monarch treats drinking like a "ceremony" while Prime Minster Theresa May has a brandy habit.

According to the Sun, Pushkov told Staterun TV: "Before dinner she [Her Majesty] drinks a cocktail made from gin and another based on wine, with ice and lemon.

"After the meal, she has a glass of wine with a bar of chocolate.

"She also drinks dry Martini. At the end of the day, she likes to drink cool champagne."

At the time, senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said the 'absurd' comments were aimed at undermining Britain's claim Russia tried to kill ex-spy Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal.

The Queen clearly has an interest in Putin, as President Joe Biden revealed she asked him about the Russian leader in June last year.

During his visit to the UK to attend the G7 summit in Cornwall, President Biden and his wife Jill had a chat with the 95-year-old monarch over tea at Windsor Castle.

Mr Biden said they talked about a range of topics and the Queen asked him about his relationship with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, and Putin.

This was potentially the second time that President Biden had broken royal protoclo by revealing their private conversations.

The president told reporters: "She wanted to know what the two leaders that I - the one I'm about to meet with, Mr Putin, and she wanted to know about Xi Jinping."

The Queen certainly won't be speaking with Putin any time soon - but the Palace are making preparations for a worst case scenario if World War 3 breaks out.

It is understood that Russia holds around 6,255 nuclear weapons, with the US not far behind with 5,550, and the Daily Star reported that plans are already in place should the very worst happen.

A declassified document revealed the Queen and her close family members would either take refuge on a super yacht or be placed in a secret bunker.

The document, known as Operation Candid, revealed Her Majesty and her loved ones would disperse to country houses away from London.

Known residences, such as Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, would not be used and they would be hidden in lochs in Scotland.

Where there was sufficient time, the royal family would be evacuated to sea, with the Royal Yacht Britannia earmarked to keep them safe.

But it's been 60 years since the plan was first devised so the current status is unknown.

The royal yacht was decommissioned in 1997, meaning another vessel would need to be used - potentially a submarine.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin joined a chorus of world leaders who have been paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, calling her death an “irreparable loss.”

But the Russian strongman’s words of sympathy immediately drew jeers.

In a letter to Britain’s new monarch, King Charles III, the Kremlin strongman said the Queen “rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage.”

Addressing the Queen’s eldest son and heir directly, Putin added: “I wish you courage and resilience in the face of this difficult, irreparable loss. May I ask you to pass on sincere condolences and support to members of the royal family and the entire people of Great Britain.”

Not everyone was impressed with Putin’s paean, with Piers Morgan telling the Russian leader to “stick” his condolences.

Addressing the warmonger directly, Morgan said: “It’s the loss you’re causing to lives in Ukraine that I’m concerned about. So stick your condolences where the sun don’t shine.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement that the Russian people have “great respect” for the late Queen, her “wisdom and authority.” “Such qualities are in very short supply on the international stage at the moment.”

On Friday, it was confirmed that Putin will not be attending the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, but it is expected that an envoy will be dispatched to represent the Russian government at the somber event.

Relations between Russia and the UK have been especially fraught in recent months owing to Britain’s decision to provide robust military and financial support to Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia.

Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who has been sanctioned by the West for his support of the war, called the Queen a symbol of historic traditions for the whole of Europe and “an example of the highest culture.”

The Queen was a distant cousin of Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II, who was murdered with his family by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

She visited Russia in 1994, the only reigning British monarch to do so, and hosted Putin for a state visit in 2003, when he famously made the Queen wait for him for 14 minutes.

Then-Home Secretary David Blunkett, who was present during the Russian leader’s visit with his guide dog, later recounted that the pooch barked loudly when it saw Putin.

Blunkett told the BBC that he apologized to the Queen for the animal’s barking, prompting her to remark: “Dogs have interesting instincts, don’t they?”

The Queen and Putin met again in 2014 during an event commemorating D-Day in France.

A photo that was taken at the time showed US President Barack Obama and New Zealand Governor-General Jerry Mateparae helping the British monarch down a flight of stairs, with Putin standing off to the side and looking away.

With Post wires

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Putin expresses 'deepest condolences' over death of Queen Elizabeth in a telegram to King Charles III

• Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his "deepest condolences" over Queen Elizabeth's death.
• In a telegram to King Charles III, Putin said the queen had "rightfully" enjoyed the love of her subjects.
• "I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss," he wrote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed his "deepest condolences" over the death of Queen Elizabeth.

In a telegram to King Charles III, Britain's new monarch, Putin said the queen — who passed away at the age of 96 — was a major historical figure during her 70-year reign.

"For many decades," he wrote, "Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage."

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The message comes despite Britain's royal family expressing support for Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February. Putin is also overwhelmingly unpopular in the United Kingdom: a March survey by YouGov found that 88% of Britons hold an unfavorable opinion of the Russian president.

At one of her final meetings with a head of state, Queen Elizabeth appeared for photographs with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in front of a bouquet of blue-and-yellow flowers , the national colors of Ukraine.

In March, then-Prince Charles also traveled to Romania to stand with Ukrainian refugees, describing their plight as a " nightmare situation ."

In his message on Thursday, Putin made no mention of war or politics.

"I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss," he told King Charles. "I ask you to convey the words of sincere sympathy and support to the members of the royal family and all the people of Great Britain."

Putin and Queen Elizabeth met in 2003 when the Russian president was on a state visit to Britain. According to former UK Home Secretary David Blunkett, she was not pleased when Putin showed up 14 minutes late to their meeting.

Speaking to the BBC, Blunkett recounted apologizing to the monarch for his guide dog barking at Putin , which prompted Elizabeth — a notorious canine aficionado — to quip: "Dogs have interesting instincts, don't they?"

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Queen Elizabeth's death and funeral

By Rob Picheta , Ed Upright and Aditi Sangal , CNN

Vladimir Putin has no "plans to participate" in Queen’s funeral, Kremlin says 

From CNN’s Anna Chernova

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences after Queen Elizabeth II died, but he has no plans to attend her funeral, according to the Kremlin.

“President [Putin] has sent a telegram of condolences. From the very beginning, the president had no other plans to participate in memorial or other events,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said said during a regular conference call with journalists.

His comments come in response to reports that Putin will not be invited to the Queen's funeral.

When asked last Friday if Putin was planning to attend her funeral in person, Peskov had said it was "not being considered.”

A senior UK government source told CNN on Tuesday the full list of invitations had not been finalized but Putin will not be invited to the funeral because of his invasion of Ukraine. Officials from Belarus and Myanmar had also been ruled out, the source added.

In condolences to King Charles III expressed on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Putin said last Thursday, “For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage.”

Queen Elizabeth II's final flight sets all-time flight tracking record

From CNN’s Arnaud Siad

Around five million people followed the route of the Royal Air Force flight carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from Edinburgh to the RAF Northolt airbase on Tuesday, making it the most tracked flight in history, according to the website Flightradar24 on Wednesday.

More than 4.79 million people watched on the flight tracking site and app with another 296,000 watching on a YouTube live stream, the website said.

It added that within the first minute of the aircraft’s transponder activating, six million people attempted to click on the flight carrying the Queen.

Flightradar24 said the Queen’s record “will likely remain at the top for a long while.”

According to Flightradar24, the previous record was when 2.2m people followed a flight carrying US speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last month.

London Fashion Week scaling back schedule and cancelling parties amid Queen's funeral

London Fashion Week, which starts on Thursday, has rearranged its schedule to move catwalk shows from the day of the Queen Elizabeth's funeral and cancelled all parties that day.

The Queen’s funeral is set to take place on Monday.

“No shows or events will take place on Monday 19th September,” a statement from the British Fashion Council – London Fashion Week’s organizers – read on Wednesday.

“As a business-to-business event London Fashion Week will continue while observing Royal Protocol and the event will be dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with our own moments of respect,” it said.

“Having spoken to designers and industry members, we as an industry want to unite as a creative and business community to celebrate Her Majesty's legacy and commitment to creativity and design,” the statement continued.

“There will be a celebration of London Fashion Week in October which will include City Wide Celebration as well as parties and events that have been rescheduled (exact date tbc) with designer shows and presentations celebrated during this period,” it read.

In February 2018, Queen Elizabeth II attended British designer Richard Quinn’s runway show alongside Dame Anna Wintour. 

Quinn was the first recipient of The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, according to Buckingham Palace.

EU chief says Queen Elizabeth II was “a legend"

From CNN's Zayn Nabbi

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday describing her as “a legend” during her annual State of the Union address.  

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Von der Leyen said the Queen was "a legend" who "spoke not only to the heart of her nation, but the soul of the whole world."

"She was a constant in the turbulent and transforming events in the last 70 years, stoic and steadfast in her service, but more than anything she always found the right words for every moment in time. From the calls she made to war evacuees in 1940, to her historic address during the pandemic," Von der Leyen said. 

"And when I think of the situation we are in today her words at the height of the pandemic still resonate with me. She said 'We will succeed and that success will belong to every one of us.' She always reminded us that our future was built on new ideas and founded in our oldest values," the EU chief added. 

More than 30,000 mourners paid their respects to the Queen in Scotland

“Around 33,000 people” paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II while the late monarch was lying at rest in St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, the Scottish government said on Tuesday.

“People across the country paid their respects, attending remembrance events and reflecting on a life of service,” the government said in a tweet.

It added this “had been a very special part of history for Scotland.”

Westminster Hall witnesses another moment in more than 900 years of history

From CNN's Richard Allen Greene

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II will be moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall – the oldest part of the Houses of Parliament – on Wednesday.

Here are some key details about the historic hall:

The Hall is more than 900 years old, with construction having begun in 1097 under King William II – the son of William the Conqueror. 

The first recorded coronation feast for a king took place in the Hall in 1189, for King Richard I, the Lionheart. 

Henry VIII’s coronation banquet took place in the Hall in 1509 – as did the banquet of his ill-fated second wife Anne Boleyn in 1533, and their daughter Queen Elizabeth I in 1559.

Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the Gunpower Plot conspirators, was tried in the Hall in 1606. So was King Charles I in 1649, after he lost the English Civil war and was executed.

Queen Elizabeth’s mother and father both lay in state in Westminster Hall before her: King George VI in 1952, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in in 2002. So did her grandfather George V in 1936 and her great-grandfather Edward VII in 1910 – the first royal lying-in-state.

Winston Churchill lay in state in Westminster Hall after his death in 1965. 

Nelson Mandela delivered an address in the Hall as President of South Africa in 1996.

London Heathrow flights altered to "ensure silence" during Queen’s ceremonial procession

From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite

Some flights from London's Heathrow Airport will be disrupted between 1:50 p.m. and 3:40 p.m. local time (between 8:50 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. ET) on Wednesday to “ensure silence over central London as the ceremonial procession moves from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.”

Heathrow, one of the world's busiest international airports, said Tuesday that “out of respect” for the mourning period it will be making “appropriate alterations to our operation.”

“Passengers will be notified by their airlines directly of any changes to flights," it added.

“We anticipate further changes to the Heathrow operation on Monday September 19, when Her Majesty’s funeral is due to take place, and will communicate those in more detail over coming days," it said on its Twitter feed.

“We apologise for the disruption these changes cause, as we work to limit the impact on the upcoming events," it added.

Wider airspace restrictions are in place in London until Monday evening, Sept. 19, after Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral is held at Westminster Abbey.

Aircraft are banned below a certain altitude (2,500 feet above sea level) within central London, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said earlier.

Restrictions also apply to all drones flying, it said.

UK trains to run through the night to ease mourners’ journeys 

From CNN’s Alex Hardie

Trains in the United Kingdom will run through the night to ease the journey for mourners visiting London to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency. 

Limited trains will operate overnight from Wednesday night, while the Queen is lying-in-state in Westminster Hall, and around 200 daily services will be added to timetables, according to PA.

“The Westminster area will be exceptionally busy from Wednesday 14 September onwards as ceremonial events take place and Lying in State starts,” Transport for London said in a statement. 

“Transport providers have well-developed plans with extra staff and services coming on-stream to help people get to where they need to be,” the Rail Delivery Group said in a statement on Monday.

The public will be able to file past the Queen’s coffin 24 hours a day from 5 p.m. (local) on Wednesday until 6:30 a.m. on the day of the monarch’s funeral on September 19, according to the UK government. 

Large crowds are expected and those wishing to attend will be required to line up for many hours, possibly overnight, the UK government added. All those attending the lying-in-state will go through “airport-style” security with only small bags permitted.

With previous reporting from Anastasia Graham-Yooll and Anna Stewart

The Queen will lie in state from today, after King Charles III follows her coffin through London

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will be moved from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday, giving Brits a chance to pay their respects to the late monarch before her funeral on Monday.

It means that the new King, Charles III, will make another difficult journey, following his mother through London and to Westminster Hall during the procession.

He will be joined by his siblings, Princes Andrew and Edward and Princess Anne, as well as his own children, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Once the coffin has arrived at Westminster Hall, a service will take place and the Queen will lie in state until Monday.

Queues to see the Queen's coffin have already started forming. As London prepares to host its first state funeral since Winston Churchill's death in 1965, the city is braced for unprecedented numbers of well-wishers.

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See Photos of Queen Elizabeth's 1994 State Visit to Russia

The Queen's trip to Russia, which followed Boris Yeltsin's trip to the UK, is depicted in season five of The Crown .

Here, see all the photos of Queen Elizabeth's 1994 trip to Russia, as shown on The Crown :

This is not from the State Visit to Russia, rather this is when Yeltsin visited the UK two years prior. Pictured are Naina Yeltsin, President Boris Yeltsin, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.

State Visit, 1994

Queen Elizabeth is pictured arriving in Moscow, wearing a glamorous fur coat.

A close-up of the Queen and Prince Philip upon their arrival in Russia.

Throughout the trip, she was accompanied by Boris Yeltsin, who served as president of Russia from 1991 to 1999.

Queen Elizabeth was not the first British royal to visit Russia. In 1973, Prince Philip and Princess Anne attended a horse eventing competition in Kyiv, then part of the Soviet Union, and in 1994, Prince Charles visited Saint Petersburg.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed in the Kremlin as guests of Yletsin.

Here, the Queen and Yetsin are pictured at the Bolshoi theatre.

Queen Elizabeth met Patriarch Alexius II and mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov; they are pictured here outside Saint Basil's Cathedral.

"For Russia, this visit is the utmost recognition that our country is on the road to democracy," Yeltsin told reporters of the Queen's visit.

As The Crown shows, the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family was a reason why the Queen had yet to visit Russia. Her grandfather, King George V, was Nicholas's first cousin.

"You and I have spent most of our lives believing that this evening could never happen. I hope that you are as delighted as I am to be proved wrong," Queen Elizabeth said to Yeltsin at a state banquet.

The two toasted at the banquet.

Queen Elizabeth toured Moscow during her four day trip, including visiting the famous Red Square.

She also met Russian children.

There were more formal events during the trip, too; Queen Elizabeth and Yeltsin attended a ceremony at the Piskarevskoye cemetery, a WWII memorial in St. Petersburg.

During the trip, Prince Philip and the Queen hosted the Yeltsins on board the Royal Yacht Britannia for a banquet.

During her Christmas address two months later, Queen Elizabeth reflected, "I never thought it would be possible in my lifetime to join with the Patriarch of Moscow and his congregation in a service in that wonderful cathedral in the heart of the Moscow Kremlin."

Queen Elizabeth would not return to Russia; Prince Philip returned once more, in 1995, as president of the World Wildlife Fund.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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President Biden became the 13th U.S. head of state to be received by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, who welcomed him and First Lady Jill Biden to Windsor Castle on Sunday.

The ceremonial visit, similar in protocol to President Trump’s 2019 visit to Windsor, capped four days of meetings around the Group of 7 summit in the county of Cornwall on England’s southwestern coast.

Biden, at first wearing his trademark aviator glasses, walked across the sprawling lawn inside the castle to review the Guard of Honor as the 95-year-old monarch and the first lady watched from a shaded seating area. The three then went inside for tea.

Biden first met Elizabeth in 1982 when he was a senator, according to the White House.

The visit comes after a difficult year for the monarch and just three days after what would have been her husband’s 100th birthday. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died in April.

Jill Biden had marked Philip’s birthday on Wednesday, tweeting : “We are holding the entire Royal Family in our hearts today, and wishing them peace and comfort on what would have been Prince Philip’s 100th birthday.”

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Meanwhile, reports in the British press continued to swirl about whether Prince Harry and Meghan, the duchess of Sussex, consulted the monarch before bestowing her nickname, Lilibet, on their daughter, who was born June 4 in California. The queen’s grandson and his wife had stepped back from royal duties and moved with their son, Archie, to the Santa Barbara area.

The queen first met a serving U.S. president, Harry Truman, as Princess Elizabeth in 1951. She has since met nearly every American president (Lyndon Johnson was the exception) who served during her 69 years on the throne. It’s one indication of the importance the monarch, who came of age following World War II, places on this “special” transatlantic relationship.

She appeared to take a special liking to President Obama, whom she met three times during his presidency, including hosting a 2011 state dinner that included a two-night stay at Buckingham Palace.

She also hosted a state dinner for President Trump in 2019 a year after welcoming him to Windsor Castle for a short ceremony. Though Biden, unlike Trump, opposed Brexit and is committed to transatlantic relations, his Irish roots — and outspoken support for upholding the Good Friday Agreement — could lend a degree of awkwardness to the meeting.

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On Friday, the queen surprised the G-7 leaders by traveling to the coastal southwestern county of Cornwall to take part in a welcome event alongside Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate, the duchess of Cambridge.

That same day, Jill Biden joined Kate on a visit to a local school and led a roundtable discussion on the importance of early childhood on lifelong outcomes.

Between the events, American reporters asked Kate if she had any wishes for her new niece, Lilibet Diana.

“I wish her all the very best. I can’t wait to meet her,” she said. “We haven’t met her yet. I hope that will be soon.”

When the reporters asked the first lady if she’d asked Kate for any advice about meeting Queen Elizabeth, she was all business.

“No I didn’t. We’ve been busy. Were you not in that room?” she said. “We were talking education.”

Following the visit to Windsor, the first lady returns to Washington, D.C. The president travels on to Brussels for two days of meetings with NATO and European Commission leaders, and then to Geneva, where he’ll conclude his weeklong trip with a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Eli Stokols is a former White House reporter based in the Los Angeles Times’ Washington, D.C., bureau.

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Cameron, on U.S. Trip, Takes a Risk and Meets With Trump

David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, said he spoke with Donald Trump, the former, and possibly future, president, about Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict.

By Mark Landler

Reporting from London

When Britain’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, went to Washington on Tuesday, he made all the usual stops, from the State Department to Capitol Hill. But it was his pilgrimage to Palm Beach, Fla., where he met former President Donald J. Trump for dinner on Monday evening at Mar-a-Lago, that grabbed most of the attention.

Mr. Cameron is the first top British government official to meet with Mr. Trump since he left the White House. His visit — ostensibly to cajole Mr. Trump into backing additional American military aid to Ukraine — attests to Mr. Trump’s influence over a far-right faction of House Republicans who have been holding up a vote.

It also underscores how the electoral calendar is affecting political dynamics on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Cameron, a onetime prime minister, has emerged as almost a shadow British leader abroad, standing in for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is busy with a looming general election at home.

In traveling to meet Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mr. Cameron was reaching out to a once, and potentially future, American president — one whose jaundiced views on Ukraine are seen as the biggest hurdle to the continuation of much-needed American aid for the Ukrainian military.

“We had a good meeting,” Mr. Cameron said of Mr. Trump, while standing alongside Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken after their own session at the State Department on Tuesday. “It was a private meeting.”

Mr. Cameron said he and Mr. Trump discussed Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza conflict and other geopolitical issues, but he declined to say whether he had made any headway on convincing Mr. Trump to provide additional aid to Ukraine. He said he delivered the same message he gives to other American leaders: “The best thing we can do this year is to keep the Ukrainians in this fight.”

Mr. Trump has not commented on the dinner, which included Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Karen Pierce. His campaign issued a statement saying they discussed “the need for NATO countries to meet their defense spending requirements and ending the killing in Ukraine.” They also shared their “mutual admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth II.”

So far, Mr. Cameron’s lobbying campaign in Washington has been met with decidedly mixed results. While he said he looked forward to meetings with Republicans in the House and Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday, he was not scheduled to meet with Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican who is the pivotal figure in scheduling a House vote on military aid to Ukraine.

The two men last met in December, when Mr. Cameron also saw Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Georgia Republican who stridently opposes further aid. Two months later, she lashed out at Mr. Cameron, saying he had accused Republicans of appeasing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

“David Cameron needs to worry about his own country,” Ms. Taylor Greene said, adding an epithet.

At his news conference with Mr. Blinken, Mr. Cameron acknowledged that he viewed his visits to Capitol Hill with “great trepidation,” noting that, “It’s not for foreign politicians to tell legislators in another country what to do.”

Mr. Cameron played down the Mar-a-Lago meeting, saying it was routine for senior British and American officials to meet opposition candidates. As prime minister, he noted, he met with the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, when he came to London on a fund-raising trip. Mr. Blinken met the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, at a security conference in Munich.

Still, there is little routine about meeting a former president at the Palm Beach estate that served as his winter White House and is still his political bastion. Mr. Trump used Mar-a-Lago for summit meetings with foreign leaders like President Xi Jinping of China . More recently, he welcomed a like-minded leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary .

Among Republicans, a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago has at times been an exercise in political validation. Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker, went there three weeks after the attack on the Capitol in January 2021, in a fruitless bid to win Mr. Trump’s favor. Allies like Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, and Kari Lake, the Arizona TV anchor-turned-politician, are regular visitors.

Diplomats in Britain said Mr. Cameron’s visit was a risk, but characteristic of how he has approached his job from the start. On issues from Ukraine to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, he has pushed the envelope in his public statements. With Britain’s Conservative government lagging Labour by double digits in the polls and facing voters in the fall, some said Mr. Cameron had little to lose.

“Flattering Trump about his importance and significance on this issue is an astute move on Cameron’s part,” said Simon Fraser, a former head of Britain’s Foreign Office. “Let’s see whether it delivers.”

Mr. Fraser predicted that Mr. Cameron’s visit would get a mixed reception in Britain: applauded by those who view it primarily through a foreign-policy lens; criticized by those, he said, “who can’t stand Trump.” But he said Mr. Cameron’s entree to Mr. Trump spoke to his network of global contacts, a legacy of his time as prime minister.

“He’s bringing more reach and energy and impact to British foreign policy,” Mr. Fraser said.

Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of the U.S. and Americas program at Chatham House, the British research institution, said, “It may not feel tasteful, but it’s shrewd, pragmatic politics of the kind Britain especially has historically been so good at, and probably of the kind that will work best with Trump.”

“There is a lot at stake in U.S. defense of Ukraine and Europe’s security,” she added, “and frankly, I think the effort to influence the U.S. may be wiser and more effective than the aspiration to Trump-proof Europe.”

Mr. Cameron has had a bumpy history with Mr. Trump. In 2016, as prime minister, he condemned Mr. Trump’s campaign proposal to place a temporary ban on allowing Muslims to enter the United States.

Asked in Parliament whether Mr. Trump should be banned from Britain, Mr. Cameron demurred but said, “His remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong, and I think if he came to visit our country, I think he’d unite us all against him.”

Even Mr. Cameron’s welcoming of Mr. Romney in 2012 had its awkward moments. Mr. Romney, who had organized the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, questioned whether London was ready to play host to the summer games, citing reports about security concerns.

“We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world,” Mr. Cameron shot back. “Of course, it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.”

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

An earlier version of this article misstated the year of the Winter Olympic Games that Mitt Romney had organized in Salt Lake City. It was the 2002 Games, not 1988.

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Mark Landler is the London bureau chief of The Times, covering the United Kingdom, as well as American foreign policy in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has been a journalist for more than three decades. More about Mark Landler