Queen to visit in spring

The queen and Prince Philip will attend the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va.
WASHINGTON POST
LONDON -- Queen Elizabeth II said she and her husband, Prince Philip, will make a state visit to the United States in May to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Britain's first permanent settlement in America.
The queen, who announced the visit during her ceremonial speech marking the opening of the new session of the British parliament, will be making her fifth visit to the United States. She and Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, first visited the country in 1957 for the 350th anniversary of Jamestown. They also visited in 1976, 1983 and 1991.
Traditional close ties between the United States and Britain have been strained in Britain in recent years with widespread public displeasure at Prime Minister Tony Blair's close alliance with President Bush. Blair has been Bush's closest foreign ally in the Iraq war. The war and Bush personally are deeply unpopular in Britain, where Blair has been harshly criticized for what critics call his unquestioning allegiance to Bush.
Queen Elizabeth, 80, remains one of the most popular figures in Britain. Crowned in 1953, she is one of the world's longest-serving leaders. Her face is among the world's most reproduced images, appearing on British coins, bills and stamps.
President Bush, in a statement issued in Moscow, said the trip would celebrate the "enduring bonds" between the two countries.
"The United States and the United Kingdom enjoy an extraordinary friendship that is sustained by deep historical and cultural ties and a commitment to defend freedom around the world," Bush said in the statement. "We look forward to Her Majesty's state visit as an occasion to celebrate these enduring bonds."
Queen's reception
Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine said in a statement that the celebration of Jamestown 2007 would be "elevated by the prominence of Her Majesty."
"We look forward to celebrating the deep historical and cultural connections between Virginia and the United Kingdom."
Virginia State Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, an official of the Jamestown 2007 organizing committee, said in a statement that the royal visit was "an acknowledgment of the enduring legacy of British influence on the American continent and the strong ties between the United States and Great Britain."
Ross Richardson, a spokesman for Jamestown 2007, said organizers have been hoping for about a decade that Queen Elizabeth would return to Jamestown for the 400th anniversary celebration. In a telephone interview, he said the queen drew about 30,000 visitors to Jamestown in 1957. Richardson said the queen toured the Jamestown settlement escorted by then-Vice President Richard Nixon.
Recommendation
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said the queen makes two state visits each year; next year she will also attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda in the fall. The spokesman said the destinations for the queen's visits are determined "on the advice of government."
"The British government would have recommended to the queen that she visit America," said the spokeswoman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as is government practice in Britain.