LONDON— President Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama were welcomed to Buckingham Palace in grand royal style Tuesday by Queen Elizabeth II as they began their official state visit to Britain, a rare honor for a U.S. president.
The queen and her husband Prince Phillip greeted the Obamas on a sunny, windy afternoon in London. Following a private tour of the palace, the two couples emerged on the palace steps for a 41-gun salute. Ranks of Scots Guards in red jackets and tall hats stood at attention, then played the Star-Spangled Banner in honor of the American president and his wife.
A longer 61-gun salute at the Tower of London could be heard throughout the city, heralding the Obamas' arrival.
The Obamas will spend two nights at the palace as guests of the queen, staying in a six-room suite last used by Prince William and Kate Middleton on their wedding night.
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