The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History ― The Untold Story of Queen Elizabeth II and Thirteen U.S. Presidents

by Susan Page

The Crown meets The West Wing in this illuminating history that chronicles the largely unknown story of Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship with thirteen American presidents, from Harry S. Truman to Donald J. Trump, and changed world history.

No American or foreign leader has met with as many sitting presidents as Queen Elizabeth II. Her Royal Majesty’s seventy-year reign witnessed the highs and lows of the close and crucial alliance between the U.S. and the U.K., from the Suez crisis to Brexit.

Following the advice of her mentor, Winston Churchill, to “stay close to the Americans,” Queen Elizabeth played an unexpected role behind the scenes that has never been thoroughly explored. In The Queen and Her Presidents, veteran political reporter Susan Page goes beyond the image of a staid monarch in colorful hats to reveal a skilled strategist, who, like many powerful women, was routinely underestimated and discounted.

Page also shows the impact American presidents had on the monarch as she developed from a shy, anxious princess to a powerful and persuasive global leader, and analyzes both the reach and the limits of the “soft power” she wielded. These accounts of the Queen’s deft diplomacy provide candid and telling assessments of her partners in the Oval Office as well.

Page shares fascinating true stories and details,

Going beyond rumors and speculation, the reality of the relationship between Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth – and Trump’s own surprising comments about the monarch whose approval he coveted. The unexpected and genuine connection between the Queen and Barack Obama, and her surprising admission to him, and how each ranked the other as among the most impressive leaders of their lifetimes. Her influential friendship with Ronald Reagan during the Cold War, a bond built on their shared love of horses—and their conflict with Britain’s then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. How Richard Nixon sought the Queen’s help during Watergate—and even wanted to make her a relative. Elizabeth’s hand-in-glove cooperation with John F. Kennedy and the distance from his successor, Lyndon Johnson, the only president who declined to meet with her in office. The almost paternal role played by Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, offering support and advice as the young monarch assumed the crown in the wake of her beloved father’s death. Eye-opening and compelling, The Queen and Her Presidents is a remarkable chronicle of a legendary contemporary monarch and the American presidents who helped shape who helped shape her—and were shaped by her.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, Presidents, Royalty, Historical

368 pages, Hardcover

Published April 14, 2026

Reviews

[Marilyn]

I have found over the years, history repeats itself, no truer than in this book as you will relive many of the news breaking headlines of the Royals and Americans for over the last 75 years or so.

The book was a bit all over the place as the author described each engagement with each of the U. S. Presidents, sprinkling in way too many historic details, eg UK Prime Minister day to day stuff
that her Majesty was not involved in.

I will summerize here a few of my favourite stories that either I remember being in the news or had never been heard before.

Harry Truman

Her first dealings with Truman was when she was still a princess and the words of wisdom he imposed on her. She was in Kenya ( Obama birth place) when she received the news of her father’s death.

Dwight D Eisenhower

In power at the time of her coronation. Interestingly, in attendance was a young reporter for the Washington Times named Jaqueline Bouvier. This US president turned down two invitations to visit the Queen, just too much happening with the Suez Canal. When she landed on US soil in 1957, it was the first time sitting royalty had been to the US. It was a whirlwind 6 day trip and they had been greeted by Chief of Protocol Wylie Buchanan , now a much more confident woman then in the past times when her and Dwight had met in her youth.


Loved Jack Kennedy as she began to feel more comfortable as Queen. Found him very inexperienced for the job though, as he was trying to learn everything.

LBJ - did not go well, he never did get his state visit.

Nixon - being a bit of a matchmaker with his daughters and Charles, but to no avail.
When he resigned, it was easy then to cancel their second meeting which they had been postponing over the Watergate scandal.

Ford’s experience with the Queen was uneventful, their last meeting was aboard the Britannia as they were enroute to Canada to open the Montreal Olympics.

Jimmy Carter, regifted, sort of, plates that were to have been gifted to the Queen during Nixon’s tenure, however when he resigned she did not get them. Carter unearthed them from storage and relabeled them to celebrate her 25 years on the throne.

The Queen loved Hollywood movies and her and Reagan hit it off with some quiet horseback riding, they did get along and then too at his ranch in California

Bush senior and the hat incident at the podium, the talking hat is a funny story.
Bush, his chivalry award, the highest British honour the government can award, given right at the end of his tenure.

Clinton winning the next presidential election was not favoured by then British Prime Minister John Major and all was off to a rocky start. Next up with PM Tony Blair, Clinton turned down tea at the palace to dine with the Blair’s( the Queen’s least fav PM)
Clinton’s bad behaviour in the Oval office lost Clinton’s chance at a state dinner, but in the end they did have tea with her where Bill told her he had played golf with Andrew ( her disgraced eldest son) in Martha’s Vineyard and he beat Clinton. Must have been buddies, ha ha.

PG 991 I hi-lighted a good synopsis of this book.
George W. and his antics during his father’s presidency is mentioned, taken lightly with her Majesty

Obama arrives and they hit it off, said to be her favourite. A woman who knows the rich history of her commonwealth well, as does Barack. A fun fact, at his birth in 1961, she had been on the throne for 9 years.
Much fun for Obama’s young daughters as they were able to have a ride in the gilded carriage around the courtyard away from the lights of the media.
A beautiful vintage 1950’s pin from Michelle pleased the Queen, she had bought it at a jewelry store 2 blocks from the White House

The most trying period was with Trump, merely because being so curious as she was about his history and what she had heard about him, she tolerated him. She was a true diplomat, and very discreet.

Biden brings a return to steady leadership, his words of wisdom from his mother years ago are funny. “Nobody was above a Biden”, she said.
Winston Churchill’s bust was out again, in came 5 famous Americans

To sum it up Obama was her favourite and then Reagan, but her majesty was very good at handling Trump, and as well it seems King Charles has his number.

Overall, I enjoyed all the stories and the refresh on our history, but will continue to finish reading all books authored by Doris Kearns Goodwin, check her out if you have not already.

[Andrea Engle]

Beginning with Truman, Queen Elizabeth II interacted with American presidents … only Lyndon Johnson was impervious to her charm. Over a seventy-year reign she met with leaders of many countries, exercising a magic beyond her actual power. As the author expresses it: “she proved to be more than an unflappable figure in a tiara. She was a deft diplomat and a shrewd judge of character … She was also the single strongest force in maintaining Great Britain as a voice that would be heard even as its empire declined.” … an unusual approach to history …

[Eliza Funk]

First, thank you to Susan Page, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced listening copy of The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History.

I went into this book genuinely excited. Queen Elizabeth II is a fascinating figure, and the idea of exploring her relationships with U.S. presidents felt like a compelling and unique angle. Unfortunately, what had the potential to be a five star read ultimately landed closer to a three for me.

On the positive side, the writing is solid: clear, well-structured, and mostly chronological, making it easy to follow the sequence of events. There’s also a fair amount of insightful and relevant information, particularly when the focus stays on the Queen’s interactions with American presidents. Those sections were engaging and delivered on the book’s core premise.

However, a few elements pulled me out of the experience. As an audiobook, the narration didn’t quite hold my attention. While it’s understandable why the author chose to narrate it herself, the delivery felt somewhat flat and could have benefited from more variation in tone.

Additionally, the book includes a noticeable amount of redundant or tangential material. Some topics, such as discussions involving Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Harry felt unnecessary and only loosely connected to the central theme. These sections made the narrative feel unfocused at times. There were also moments where the content came across as more opinion driven rather than strictly informative, which detracted from the overall credibility.

In the end, while there are interesting insights here, the inconsistencies and lack of focus make it difficult for me to recommend this to readers specifically looking to learn more about Queen Elizabeth II and her diplomatic relationships.

[Graham]

I had a hard time putting this book down. Susan Page chronicles Queen Elizabeth II's relationship with every president from Harry Truman to Joe Biden. The queen used her position to strengthen and reinforce relations with the United States. She acted as a ambassador when American presidents had issues with her Prime Ministers. She was also the first foreign head of state to address a joint session of congress in 1991.

A few things I read in the book.

1. Richard Nixon wanted Prince Charles to marry his daughter Tricia (though she was dating her future husband at the time).
2. The only president she didn't meet during their presidency was Lyndon Johnson.
3. She met with George W. Bush more than any other president. He also got away with teasing her.
4. She awarded an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of thr Bath to Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
5. She wasn't a fan of Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton.

[Dianne]

Queen Elizabeth II reigned 70 years so you can imagine all the history covered in this book. It goes in chronological order with each president having a chapter that is easy to read and understand. The amount of exploration and research done by Page is impressive with loads of footnotes and an extensive bibliography at the end. I found the book to be very interesting and knowledgeable with the focus being on the Queen. I came away with an even more profound respect for Her Majesty. 👑 Keep calm and carry on.

[Sue C]

If you enjoy history, the royal family, and US presidents …this book would be right up your alley!

[Brian Katz]

I enjoyed this book because it provided a glimpse of the inner workings of the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth. She was indeed an amazing lady who managed the ship for many decades. It was interesting to learn of the approach she was required to take as dictated by her role. Not making policy, not getting involved in politics and yet having input to the affairs of the British government and all who were impacted by the actions of the government. She was fortunate to have met many leaders of the world, both friendly as well as enemy. The overlap of the Monarch with the past leaders of the US was also very interesting, each one with its special own character, based on the office holder at such time. She did her ancestors very proud in how she handled herself and the Monarchy and will go down in history as one of the greats.

[Mary Beth]

A lot of information. Somehow became repetitive.

[Sharon]

Thank you @harperbooks for the free book 💖.

🗓️Out 4/14/26

This book was way more detailed than I expected in the best possible way. It offers a behind the scenes look at Queen Elizabeth II’s interactions with U.S. presidents and their families, revealing stories I’d personally never heard before. It’s clearly well researched, and the level of detail made it feel both informative and intimate.

Queen Elizabeth II became queen at just 25 after her father’s early death and her uncle’s abdication. Imagine taking on that responsibility at such a young age! Over her 96 years, she witnessed immense global change, crossing paths with more historical figures than almost anyone else, and quietly earned respect through steady diplomacy and grace.

The book dives into fascinating anecdotes, rumors, gifts exchanged with presidents, relationships with First Ladies, and even her love for her dogs. Her resilience as a woman in a male-dominated role is inspiring, and her quiet strength and commitment to duty shine throughout. I appreciated how thoughtfully she handled certain stumbles on her royal visits, too. You could see her sense of humor in many instances. There is so much to learn about her experiences in this book.

No matter your views on the monarchy, the kind of resilience she showed in her time is undeniably admirable. Through everything she faced, she remained committed to her duty and carried herself with quiet strength and privacy, a quality that is honestly very rare to see these days.

If you’re even a little curious about history, leadership, or the human side of public figures, this is one I recommend.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Darla]

London Bridge is down.

That was the code used on September 8 of 2022 when Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral at the age of 96.

Her reign spanned seven decades and she was an invisible bridge across the Atlantic for thirteen US presidents.

Susan Page has taken the time to walk us through the reign of this iconic monarch while noting her interactions with our presidents along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audio book as narrated by the author. It is quite long at 14+ hours, but was a welcome companion during walks with the dog and mundane household chores.

Even if you are a history buff, I would bet that there will be some juicy tidbits that are new to you in this book.

Here are a few I especially enjoyed:

🌭Elizabeth enjoying hot dogs at the Roosevelt estate with her parents and sister Margaret.

📫Details about her correspondence with JFK.

✌Her deft dealings with Richard Nixon.

🐴The horsey bond with Reagan and her report about eating "used beans" at their ranch.

🤠A running joke about cowboy boots with G.W. Bush.

And there is so much more. You will be touched, tickled, and at times want to cringe over the interactions between the Royals and the White House. In the end you will be incredibly impressed with HRM and the achievements of her decades in service to Britain.

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Emily]

The portrait of her long, over-arching diplomatic influence was lovely.
Well sourced from archival records and first person interviews with the subjects concerned or their families, and the books written by the people concerned or who witnessed events. But sometimes oddly edited, like an anecdote would be inserted that didn't seem relevant to the surrounding sentences or paragraphs, or paragraph breaks or lack of them that made the connections unclear.
I had the ebook in which the photos were included at the very end and hard to see. I wonder where they were in the hardcopy, and related I wonder why they chose the photos for the cover that they did: why her third president and two penultimate presidents. Maybe the selection they made were some of the few where she and the president were close together in the photo. Eisenhower I think she was said to have a quite familial relationship with and then the horseback ride with Reagan was made so much of but perhaps having that photo plus others wouldn't worked well for the cover.

[Amy]

An entertaining, if not probing, read. The author gives the reader just enough to keep the reader interested, but not enough to feel any real emotions. Still, it's a nice read if not wanting to get bogged down by details. 3.5

Something to ponder from the following prescient remark made by an historical character only mentioned fleetingly:
"The role being played by the United States and the United Kingdom as leaders of the free world had its naysayers. During an interview on CNN in 1987, (Margaret) Thatcher was asked about criticism from 'a prominent real estate developer in the United States,' one Donald Trump, about US expenditures on Europe's defense. Thatcher responded, 'It is vital that we all defend the frontier of freedom. It is vital that we stick together, because if we do not, we could be picked off one by one and it is as important to the United States as to Western Europe.'"
(Page 160, hardcover)

[Lois Romano]

Susan Page’s The Queen and Her Presidents is one of those rare history books that feels both intimate and sweeping. Rather than retelling familiar royal stories, Page explores Queen Elizabeth II through her relationships with American presidents, revealing how influence often operates quietly, through steadiness, memory, and diplomacy rather than spectacle. The portraits of world leaders are fascinating, but what stayed with me was a deeper appreciation for the Queen herself — a woman whose restraint may have been her greatest strength. Richly reported, insightful, and highly readable, this book offers a compelling look at leadership, power, and the underestimated role women often play in shaping history. Full of surprising details — a terrific read for anyone interested in extraordinary women. Page reveals that The Queen and Ronald Reagan formed one of her closest presidential friendships, bonding over their shared love of horses.

[Ursula]

Wow! For someone about whom so much already has been written, this book provides amazing new insight — and not just about the Queen but about the 15 U.S. presidents (and some of their more flamboyant wives) with whom she dealt over seven decades. Only one of those (Lyndon Baines Johnson) she failed to encounter as a sitting U.S. president, but even him she did meet albeit prior to his ascendancy to leader of the free world.

Fascinating to learn how distinctive her relationships were with each U.S. president, and about the obstacles she faced with LBJ, Clinton, Carter and Biden in particular. Even Obama’s relationship with the Queen had a rocky start, as some assumed “he might harbor some anti-colonial attitudes from his Kenyan background,” according to Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security advisor. But as Page writes, “Kenya, the land of Obama’s father, proved to be a bond, not a division.”

King Louis XIV of France was the only sovereign of any country to reign longer, according to Page. But even his tenure, the author notes, was a mere two years longer, and it began when he was just a babe of four. By contrast, Elizabeth was 27 on her Coronation Day.

By all accounts, Queen Elizabeth II’s cunning use of so-called “soft power” was extraordinary. “Part of her diplomatic deftness was her ability to persuade presidents that she particularly enjoyed their company,” Page writes.

Case in point: Trump, whose incessant braggadocio includes claims that he was her “favorite” U.S. president. “No president tested the Queen’s “soft power” more than Trump,” notes Page.

As one British diplomat concluded, the Queen’s prestige was harnessed on more than one occasion “to effect by sentiment what argument could not do.” Similarly, Clinton told Page he believed the Queen’s real superpower was that “she knew that how people felt had something to do with how they could think.”

Highly recommend this captivating, well written biography.

[Candy]

Very interesting to review the history between the US and the UK via the interactions between the Queen and the presidents. Of course, there were others involved…prime ministers, First Ladies, secretaries of state, etc. The book starts when Elizabeth was still a princess and her father, the king, was a guest of FDR. As the book progresses, each president has his own chapter. I listened to them all (but only a little bit about trump because of his obsequiousness and self-grandeur. Seriously, would the queen really enjoy entertaining a former nude model?) Queen Elizabeth’s death is included and the transition to the reign of King Charles discussed before the epilogue summary of the Queen. At first I wasn’t happy with the author narrating her book, but soon became accustomed to her voice and did not find it distracting.

[Maureen]

I liked this book. It is very readable. I could hardly put it down. And it was interesting, she is interesting!

Really great if you are interested in Queen Elizabeth II's life as well as some historical and human stories about Presidents of the USA from Truman through Trump.

Queen Elizabeth II was intelligent and very observant. She did all that she could do to help her country as well as make great observations and sometimes friendships with U.S. Presidents. She had a good sense of humor and a wonderfully honed expertise on human nature.

She also had met all the famous people in the entire world from the time she became a princess during World War II. She worked hard for her country and for the world her grandchildren would inherit.

I never wanted to become president but I would have loved to have met her!

[Gary]

Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but some interesting/fun anecdotes, and it is interesting to see the chronology laid out of Elizabeth II's interactions and the extent to which she was or was not able to influence the course of the" special relationship" between the two countries. It's also become a bit of a cliche, but also a rather charming, how current and former presidents and first ladies, as well as prime ministers and others, are all happy to share their memories of Queen Elizabeth. (No doubt much more pleasant than being grilled by a journalist or author like Susan Page on the controversial decisions you made as president!)

[Jill]

What an interesting taking the evolution of the Queen-her life, her influence, her status and constancy. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the dynamics of her soft power that she wielded in the moments of many crises over her 70 year reign. Learning how the different presidents reacted to her was also fascinating. I love that no one definitely knows what she truly thought about each man (except for Phillip maybe, which he took to the grave.)
On the run up to a trip to London, coupled with America's 250 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this book seemed like the perfect combo of topics that align to both. I'm thoroughly glad to have read this!

[Rob Saunders]

A feel-good, journalist's chronicling of British monarch Queen Elizabeth's lifelong interactions with US presidents. Fascinating world stage historical perspectives of humans functioning, performing, as figureheads in powerful political and sovereign positions.Top notch, extensively researched.

The thoughtful reader will enjoy the accumulation of facts and the chatty, surface-layer style writing that showcases these personalities. Many of a certain age will recall their own lives and events which coincided with this era.

But one should realize the proverbial "rest of the story" yet remains to be told.

[Sue]

This book shared anecdotes and stories about Queen Elizabeth II's interactions with 13 US Presidents over the course of her long reign.

The tone of the book was chatty and felt a bit like bonus episodes of The Crown (which I loved!).

Queen Elizabeth's reign spanned 70 years, from just after WWII until just a few short years ago. During that time, the world and Great Britain both experienced enormous cultural, political and economic shifts. After reading this book, I have even more respect for the careful and interesting role Queen Elizabeth played on the world stage.

[Tonja Graham]

This biography documents all the presidents that Queen Elizabeth II met through her life. From before she was the Queen of England, she had the opportunity to meet many of the Presidents of the United States. Her relationships with them helped define the long relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

I enjoyed this book! There were little tidbits that I was able to learn that I didn’t know before.

[Marion]

An evocative walk down memory lane in Susan Page’s well-researched and insightful review of Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship with 13 US presidents from Harry Truman to Joe Biden, based on personal interviews and meticulous research.
35 pages of footnotes, 6 pages of selected bibliography and 12-page Index.
Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral September 8, 2022 at the age of 96.

[Marge]

A very interesting account of Queen Elizabeth's relationship with the American presidents from Truman to Trump with some Roosevelt also. The book deals in facts and not too much emotion. I can't wait until Her Majesty's journals or diaries are published for more interesting tales. The book was a good read that kept my interest throughout.

[Diana Cheal]

I never fully got into this and not sure why as it combined my love of history and politics. A well-researched and well-thought out book, but sadly not foot-noted. For anyone looking to learn more about our ancient way of monarchy in contrast to the presidential system, this gives a lesson through the lens of people.

[Christopher Calcara]

Page is an excellent journalist and writer and this is an excellent book. Anyone interested not only in Great Britain and royalty but America and our relationship with each other will enjoy it. It covers intimate details of Elizabeth's meetings with every U.S. President (except LBJ) since FDR and her observations of every administration including the current one.

[Pamela Saar]

Overall a very interesting read and historical account of the Queen’s reign. A bit one-sided on the Presidential side - clearly no mention of Biden and his issues, I assume by design. A few political digs that were unnecessary.
The most interesting was her life as a Princess and ascension to the throne. Anecdotal stories added a human touch.

[Louis]

Excellent writing on an untapped subject of one of the most tenured and perhaps underrated leaders of the modern era. This was exactly the subject of a book I had wished to write myself, but Susan Page beat me to it, and expertly executed!

[MJ]

I read this because I heard a great radio discussion of the book with the author on our local PBS station, but for me, parts of this book were interesting and parts were boring. Her interactions with presidents early in her reign were most interesting.

[Shannon Heaton]

At first I thought how can the Queen shape history. I suppose she may have after a fashion in her own country, and I would still be interested in reading that book after this one. But it was fun to see the inside baseball behind the scenes between her and the US presidents.

[Pooch]

This is a collection of interesting, and mostly well-known, anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth and the Presidents of USA.

I do not recommend the audiobook which is read by the author and sounds like a lecture.