George W. Bush: Queen Elizabeth II was ‘a woman of great intellect, charm, and wit’

Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at age 96, after a 70-year reign.

Queen Elizabeth II’s reign spanned 14 presidential administrations, and she visited the White House six times from 1951 to 2007. Her visit to the Lone Star State in 1991 captured the hearts of Texans.

Here’s how former presidents reacted to the Queen’s death.

George W. Bush

President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush hosted Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when she last visited the U.S. and the White House in 2007. The visit celebrated the 400th anniversary of the English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia. On May 7, 2007, the royal couple attended an elegant white-tie State Dinner hosted in their honor. President Bush invited that year’s winning Kentucky Derby jockey Calvin Borel, as the Queen was a renowned racing fan, and owned and bred racehorses. During her stay, she also visited the World War II Memorial with President Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush—a World War II veteran.

“Laura and I were honored to have known Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was a woman of great intellect, charm, and wit. Spending time at Buckingham Palace, and having tea with Her Majesty – and her Corgis – is among our fondest memories of the presidency,” Bush said in a statement from Dallas. “Queen Elizabeth ably led England through dark moments with her confidence in her people and her vision for a brighter tomorrow. Our world benefitted from her steady resolve, and we are grateful for her decades of service as sovereign. Americans in particular appreciate her strong and steadfast friendship. Laura and I join our fellow citizens in sending our heartfelt condolences to the Royal family and the British people.”

Bush visited the U.K. as president five times:

• July 18-20, 2001, London, Chequers and Halton (Buckinghamshire): Met with Prime Minister Blair at RAF Halton; met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace; visited British Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, London. Departed via Brize Norton RAF Military Airfield, Oxford.

• April 7-8, 2003, Hillsborough, N. Ireland: Visit of President Bush to Northern Ireland, April 7-8, 2003

• November 18-21, 2003, London and Sedgefield (Durham): State Visit of President Bush to the United Kingdom

• July 6-8, 2005, Gleneagles, Scotland: President Bush attended annual G-8 summit

• June 15-16, 2008, London and Belfast: Visit of President Bush to the United Kingdom

Jimmy Carter

From May 5 to 11, 1977, President Jimmy Carter visited London and Newcastle. He met the Queen when he attended the May 7 to 8 Economic Summit Meeting of the Heads of State and Government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. He also met with the Prime Ministers of Greece, Belgium, Turkey, Norway, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and with the President of Portugal. He addressed the NATO Ministers meeting on May 10.

“The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum sends our condolences to the @RoyalFamily at this time,” the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library tweeted.

Bill Clinton

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family and all the people Her Majesty inspired throughout her lifetime of service,” said former president Bill Clinton in a tweet on Thursday afternoon.

President Bill Clinton visited the U.K. seven times throughout his presidency.

• June 4 to 5, 1994, Cambridge, London, Portsmouth: Visited U.S. Military Cemetery. Met with Prime Minister Major. Attended state dinner with Queen Elizabeth II and heads of state and government of Canada, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Belgium. Attended D-Day commemorative ceremonies.

• June 8, 1994, Oxford: Received honorary degree from Oxford University.

• November 28 to December 1, 1995, London, Belfast, Londonderry: Met with Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister John Major; addressed Parliament, and delivered several public addresses in Northern Ireland.

• May 28 to 29, 1997, London: Met with Prime Minister Tony Blair and attended a Cabinet meeting.

• May 14-18, 1998, Birmingham, Weston-Under-Lizard, London: Attended G-8 Economic Summit and U.S.-EU Summit.

• September 3, 1998, Belfast, Armagh, Omagh: Met with Prime Minister Blair and Northern Irish political leaders; addressed the Northern Ireland Assembly.

• December 13-14, 2000, Belfast, London, Warwick: Met with Prime Minister Blair and Northern Irish political leaders; addressed the people of Northern Ireland at the Odyssey Center; met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace; addressed audience at Warwick University Arts Center.

Barack Obama

“Like so many of you, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty’s dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service,” President Barack Obama said. “Our thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time.”

Throughout his presidency, Obama visited Britain four times:

• March 31- April 3, 2009: First visit of President Obama to the United Kingdom.

• May 24-26, 2011: State Visit of President Obama to the United Kingdom.

• September 4-5, 2014, Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom: To participate in the 2014 Summit meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

• April 21-24, 2016, London: Part of a trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Germany.