On European Tour, Bush Visits Queen Elizabeth II

In London, 2,000 Gather to Protest Bush, Iraq War

WINDSOR CASTLE, England, June 15 -- Twenty-six years after Ronald Reagan rode horses here with Queen Elizabeth II, President Bush flew to Windsor Castle on Sunday for a quick visit with the reigning monarch.

Bush and first lady Laura Bush had sandwiches, cake and, of course, afternoon tea with the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, marking only the second time that Elizabeth has invited a U.S. leader to her favorite official residence.

The short stop at Windsor was part of an week-long farewell swing through the capitals of Europe and Britain, where discussions have been dominated by debates over whether to pursue sanctions against Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium. Bush was scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown later Sunday and again Monday before jetting to Northern Ireland on his way home.

At Windsor, the two couples strode briefly in front of the cameras in St. George's Hall, an ornate, restored room lined with suits of armor and oil paintings of royal ancestors. Elizabeth, looking petite next to her guests and husband, wore a summery pink flowered dress and white shoes, white handbag and pearls.

Most of the short visit was behind closed doors, however, and not a word of conversation could be heard above the clicking of photo shutters in the hall. At one point, the group glanced at armor worn by King Henry VIII.

According to royal staff, Elizabeth showed the Bushes around several of the other grand rooms and apartments in the castle, including one drawing room stocked with photos, gifts and other knickknacks related to U.S. presidents. They included a silver bowl given by Bush's father, a photograph of Elizabeth riding with Reagan, and letters from President Franklin D. Roosevelt inviting the queen's mother to Washington in 1939.

The breathtaking Windsor Castle dates back 900 years, to Norman times, and ranks as the oldest occupied castle in the world, according to a royal family spokesman. Large parts of the castle were gutted by fire in 1992, including much of the area that the Bushes toured, but all was restored by 1997.

Elizabeth, 82, has met every U.S. president except Johnson since her reign began in 1952. Unlike Reagan's visit to Windsor, which included staying overnight, President Bush's stop was not considered an official state visit, British officials said.

But since the queen usually receives heads of state at Buckingham Palace in London, any invitation to Windsor, her favorite residence, is considered special, royal staffers said.

After the tea and the tour, Bush and first lady climbed back into the presidential limousine and were ferried to the Marine One helicopter, which carried them to London for meetings Sunday and Monday with the prime minister. The total elapsed time for the visit: about an hour.

Late Sunday, as many as 2,000. protesters gathered in Parliament Square in London to demonstrate against Bush and the Iraq war. The event marked the first substantive protest against Bush during his trip to Europe, where most seemed to be looking ahead to his eventual successor.