A Brief History of Royals in America

Queen Elizabeth II took in a Maryland-North Carolina football game when she visited the states in October of 1957. Amazed by the brawny athletes, the Queen famously asked, "Where do you get all those enormous players?" To which Maryland's governor replied, "Your majesty, that's a very embarrassing question." She also visited Washington, New York and Williamsburg, Virginia, where she marked the 350th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.

Not long after he was made king, Thailand's King Bhumibol, along with his wife and four children, took more than seven months and traveled the world. He made the most of his U.S. visit in June of 1960: He visited Disneyland, toured movie studios, chatted with President Eisenhower, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Elvis Presley and addressed Congress. But while King Bhumibol may have enjoyed his time in the states, don't expect him to come back. The much-loved monarch has not left Thailand since his introductory state visits.

When Prince Charles and Princess Diana came to the states in 1985, "royal fever" spread across the land. The pair with the seemingly fairy tale marriage wowed at a gala dinner hosted by President Reagan and his wife, Nancy. As Charles mingled with Clint Eastwood and Tom Selleck, Di took to the dance floor on the arm of a young John Travolta in her midnight blue velvet gown topped off with a sapphire and diamond choker. Though the American public clung to Diana's every word, move and wardrobe choice, Reagan momentarily bumbled her name, referring to her as "Er ... Princess David ... Princess Diane."

Any time the Queen travels across the pond, attention must be paid. Unfortunately, during the monarch's May 1991 visit, her hat made more of an impression than her speech. In the infamous "talking hat" incident, the 5-foot-4-inch tall Queen was hidden behind a lectern that was so tall, only her broad-brimmed, striped hat could be seen. Two days later, when she became the first British monarch to address Congress, Elizabeth II evoked laughter and a standing ovation when she joked, "I do hope you can see me today," before beginning her speech.

In October 1998, President Bill Clinton mediated arduous peace negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat. When negotiations appeared to derail on the 6th day, Clinton called in his trump card. King Hussein of Jordan arrived -- gaunt and pale, yet energetic -- from the Mayo Clinic where he was receiving cancer treatment. "You can't afford for this to fail," he told the gathered leaders. "You owe this to your people, your children, to future generations." Arafat and Netanyahu worked through the night, hammering out a final settlement that became the Wye River Memorandum -- the basis for peace efforts from that point. King Hussein died three months later.

A noted horse enthusiast and frequent wearer of fine hats, Queen Elizabeth II fit in perfectly when she watched the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. Wearing a lime green wool coat, a silk dress, and a lime green hat with a large fuchsia bow, the Queen flew to Kentucky with her husband Prince Phillip. The pair watched Street Sense win by two and a quarter lengths. Absent the royal luck two weeks later in the Preakness, Street Sense lost by a nose, preventing a run at the Triple Crown.

In May 1994, the son of Japan's wartime emperor was scheduled to be the first Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor. Instead, hoping to avoid tough questions from his subjects, Emperor Akihito and his wife, Michiko, visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, where 34,000 veterans of World War II, World War II, Korea and Vietnam are interred. The emperor and his wife returned to Hawaii 15 years later, again paying their respects by laying a wreath at the National Memorial Cemetery.

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the oldest capital city in what would become the United States, Spain's Crown Prince Felipe de Borbon y Grecia and his wife, the Princess of Asturias Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano visited Santa Fe. Prince Felipe spoke about the Native American influence on the area's culture before adding two Spanish coins and a Spanish flag to the city's time capsule. Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia also inspected a cottonwood tree planted by Felipe's father, King Juan Carlos, on a visit decades earlier.

On the hottest day of the year, as temperatures in Manhattan broke 102 degrees, Queen Elizabeth II addressed the United Nations for only the second time, 53 years after her first U.N. speech. "The aims and values that inspired the United Nations charter endure," she told the assembly. "It is my hope that when judged by future generations, our sincerity, our willingness to take a lead, and our determination to do the right thing will stand the test of time." Queen Elizabeth then visited Ground Zero and dedicated a memorial garden to the 67 British victims of the September 11 attacks.