Obamas in Britain for state visit
US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, at the start of a two-day state visit, ahead of the G8 summit in France at the end of the week.
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Obama will attend a state dinner at Buckingham Palace this evening, and tomorrow he will hold talks with Prime Minister David Cameron.
In an unusual step, the two men jointly wrote a piece for Tuesday's edition of The Times newspaper, pledging their support for reform in the Arab world.
London is highly sensitive about its ties with the United States, dubbed "the special relationship" by Britain's wartime leader, Winston Churchill.
Signals of ups and downs in the rapport are minutely analysed, and Britain is particularly worried now that the US president has ties with Africa, Asia and the pacific, but no real links with Britain.
Washington is mindful of London's prickliness, and will be careful not to ruffle any feathers.
In their newspaper article, Obama and Cameron recast the special relationship, calling it the "essential relationship", and stressing security co operation.
Before the official welcome, the Obamas had a brief meeting with newly-weds the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as Prince William and Kate Middleton.
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