Obamas greet British queen, trade gifts

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-02 10:59

They gathered in the palace's picture gallery and were served champagne, wine and canapes of chicken with zucchini on skewers, mini Cornish pasties, smoked quail eggs, foie gras and tiny rolls of duck filled with melon.

The queen chatted with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi while French President Nicolas Sarkozy held an animated discussion through an interpreter with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Prince Charles shared a joke with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva while his wife, Camilla, held a long talk with Mrs. Obama.

Full coverage:  G20 Financial Summit Related readings:  'Mighty Michelle' wows London  Obama accepts invitations to visit China, Russia  President Hu talks with Obama on ties, crisis  Obama arrives in London, first leg of Europe trip  Obama in London for G-20 summit

"It was a wonderful visit," Obama shouted to reporters as he and his wife left the palace. "Her majesty is delightful."

Several hundred people gathered outside Buckingham Palace and cheered as soon as they saw President Obama.

Earlier in the day, Obama used a press conference with Prime Minister Gordon Brown to say how much he and the first lady were looking forward to meeting the queen, praising her as a model of "decency and civility."

Brown and his wife, Sarah, were holding a dinner at Downing Street for all of the leaders attending the summit.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was cooking dinner for the G-20 leaders. The main course was slow-roasted Welsh lamb accompanied by wild mushrooms, asparagus and potatoes from Jersey in the English Channel. Vegetarian leaders were being offered potato dumplings and asparagus.

Appetizers include baked Scottish salmon with vegetables and goat's cheese from Hertfordshire with roasted shallots. Bakewell tarts and custard is on the menu for dessert.

France's Sarkozy, who had hinted he would walk out of the G-20 if leaders didn't agree to concrete plans on tighter financial regulations, was the last to arrive for the dinner.

Obama sat next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- who has joined in Sarkozy's calls -- while Chinese President Hu Jintao sat between Brown and Sarkozy.

At the spouse's dinner hosted by Sarah Brown, Mrs. Obama sat next to children's author J.K. Rowling.

President Obama was among the last world leaders to leave Downing Street following the working dinner.

"It was a wonderful dinner," Obama said as he left with wife, Michelle.

Sarkozy, who the last to arrive, was among the first to leave after the dinner.

He declined to comment to waiting reporters.

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