The Palace and The Presidents

Channel 5, 1 × 90

The relationship between the Royal Family and US Presidents has been shaped by defining moments across history — from King George VI and Franklin D. Roosevelt sharing hot dogs in New York in 1939, to the iconic image of Queen Elizabeth II and Ronald Reagan riding horses in Windsor in 1982. The UK and the US have shared a bond, closely linked to the personal connections between the Royals and the President – and so far, it’s stood the test of time. 

  As King Charles III prepares for a landmark US visit in 2026, we reveal what really happens when the world’s most famous family meets the world’s most powerful person. With exclusive insights from Royal and White House insiders and presidential relatives, including 97-year-old Selwa “Lucky” Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan’s social secretary Gahl Burt and renowned journalist and bestselling author Kate Andersen Brower, we lift the curtain on what it takes to make these historic meetings a success. 

Capricia Marshall served as President Obama’s Chief of Protocol and was intricately involved in every detail of Obama’s 2011 state visit to the UK. Marshall reveals the soft-power strategies that are deployed to strengthen the relationship and gives a first-hand account of the drama behind the gift exchange that made headlines around the world. 

The relationship between the Royals and US Presidents is rooted in over a century of mutual respect, yet one misstep can unsettle this carefully balanced diplomacy. From President Carter allegedly kissing the Queen Mother in 1977 to a 1991 technical glitch that saw the Queen practically disappear during a speech, a moment witnessed by White House usher Chris Emery who reveals how the incident left President George Bush visibly blushing.